


Time Wave

by Razial



Series: Timewave [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Justice League - All Media Types, Smallville, Wonder Woman (Comics)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Multiple Pairings, Possession, Romance, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-05 04:48:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 143,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10297871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Razial/pseuds/Razial
Summary: Clark is hit by a mysterious wave of energy which gives him knowledge of the future and how to prevent a dark future from befalling him and those around him.





	1. Chapter 1

Time Wave

Beta: Hawklan

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Smallville or Superman they belong to the people who created them at the time the other characters belong to their respective creators.

Pairing: Clark/Lana/Raya/Diana

Summary:

Set during season Four, Clark is hit by a mysterious wave of energy which gives him knowledge of the future and how to prevent a dark future from befalling him and those around him. He decides to act on the knowledge especially concerning Lana.

+++ 

Chapter 1

(Kent Farm)

Clark sighed as he looked over the pictures from the caves and again thought about everything that had happened lately. He had lost Lana to Jason Teague and he had no idea how to get her back. He also had to deal with the mission Jor-El, his biological father, had given him regarding the stones of power and he was trying to get over Alicia's death, also. He walked over to the open shutters and looked out of them and wondered where everything was heading.

He looked down, as a red jeep pulled into the farm. Once he recognized it as Lana's, he wondered what she was doing here, considering the cold shoulder she had been giving him after the events concerning Alicia. He waited until Lana started to climb the stairs to the top before speaking, "Lana, this is a surprise," he stated as he walked over to the banister and looked down at her and drank in her features.

"I know, I've helped to strain our friendship even more when you started seeing Alicia again," Lana replied, feeling somewhat nervous, "I just couldn't understand how you could date her again, after she almost killed us both Clark," she added walking closer to her former lover and was trying to ignore the increase in her heart rate at been so close to him again.

"She was cured Lana. That was why she was released and I liked her," Clark tried to explain. "I can understand why you weren't willing to give her another chance, but you know me. I always try and see the good in people," he continued. "She may have been misguided and forceful but she wasn't afraid to express her feelings and act on them. I was beginning to feel alone and isolated from everyone since you've barely said much to me since you got back. It's like you've tried to cut me out of your life and it was killing me," he added. "I wanted to feel something other than pain," he finished as he turned away from her and walked over to the shutters and looked out.

Lana just looked at his back. She was almost crushed under the weight of his confession. She had never heard Clark being so honest about his feelings before and she couldn't help but feel his pain. No matter how much she had tried to shut away the love she felt for Clark, it remained within her and at the moment it was striving to break through and assure him he wasn't alone. She hadn't realized how much she had cut herself off from Clark since she had returned from Paris. Apart from the small stint when Isobel possessed her, she'd had little contact with him and the fact she had also accused him of informing on Jason when everything she knew about Clark should have pointed out that wasn't possible.

She realized she had been treating Clark very badly since she had come back in some half hearted attempt to keep her feelings for him away and all she had done was hurt Clark more than she could have guessed. She had always valued her friendship with Clark and yet when she had come back she had made a strange decision to stay away from him and strained their already rocky friendship. She was about to speak up when she noticed Clark suddenly back away from the shutter and turned to face her, she stopped when she noticed the look of pain on his face.

"Clark, are you okay?" she asked.

She watched as a gust of wind blew through the barn and suddenly she heard Clark scream as lightning and thunder began to arc around them. Lana was confused as to what was going on, but she refused to leave Clark. All she could do was watch as Clark was engulfed in an array of lights and picked him up off the ground. She tried to block out the screams she was hearing and inched forward before she was pushed backwards again. She had to blink when a burst of white light engulfed them both before everything faded. When she looked up again Clark was curled up into a ball before her. She quickly walked over and pulled him into her arms.

"Clark?" she asked scared, more than she liked to admit.

"Lana," Clark finally spoke, but his voice sounded rough and filled with pain.

"It's okay Clark. It's over whatever it was," Lana told him trying not to let on how scared she was about what had happened.

"I'll tell you later what it was, I'm so," Clark started to say before slumping unconscious into her arms.

Lana refused to leave him and sat back against the couch. She just held him and was surprised that he had said he would tell her what had just happened. When she began to doubt that all she would get was another lie she dismissed the thought and began to remember all the good times she and Clark had enjoyed in this barn and she began to regret pushing Clark away from her life since she had gotten back from Paris and she just hoped there was something she could do to fix it. She looked around and noticed a blanket on the couch and using her left hand she pulled it down and threw it around both of them and then settled down hoping Clark would wake up soon.

*

(Luthor Mansion)

Lex Luthor sat at his desk and was looking once more at the map he had found hidden in the old manuscript he had bought. He still did not understand how to read it, but he knew in time he would have the answers and then he could finally find one of the stones of power and knowledge to replace the one that had been stolen by some unknown person.

He still had no answers to how this person had managed to board the plane whilst it was in mid flight, especially considering the speed they were going at and then there was the fact that the door had been completely torn off the plane as well. He sat back and sighed, wondering just how many people were looking for the stones, not counting the spirit of Isobel, which resided inside of Lana Lang, the Teague family and of course his own father. As far as he knew none of them had the power to catch a plane in mid fight, remove its door and then basically summon the stone to them and vanishing in the blink of the eye.

He wondered if his mysterious friend Clark had any knowledge about the stones. Whilst he was still trying to get his friendship with Clark back on track, he couldn't help but wonder what it was that Clark kept hidden from everyone, even the love of his life. He couldn't understand it. It was because of that mystery that he had strained the friendship they had. Trying to solve that mystery, helped by his father, he had given Clark the key to the room where he kept all of the information, he had gathered on Clark, hidden. He stood and walked to his mini bar, he made himself a brandy and walked over to the window and looked out of it wondering how things would play out.

*

(Kent Farm)

Lana looked down as she felt Clark finally move, he had been out cold for almost an hour and she was relieved to see him finally showing some live signs. His eyes shot open and he stared at her with such a look of longing and loss that she felt pinned by his stare. Finally she broke away and helped him sit up. She watched as he slowly climbed to his feet just before he crashed onto the couch behind them again.

"Clark, are you okay?" she asked concerned.

"I will be, if we are lucky," he replied while rubbing his eyes.

"What do you mean and what was that?" she asked with a frown. "You told me you would let me know what it was," she reminded him.

"And I will. Just give me a few seconds, it's still a jumble," he said finally looking at her and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he meant it.

She sat back down next to him and watched as he shook his head and rubbed his eyes. It was almost as if he was trying to get over a painful event. She also noticed him shiver once or twice something she hadn't seen him do since he came down with a mysterious virus that had struck his mother before him.

Finally he looked back up and pinned her gaze again. "It's was a signal from the future. It contained memories of a future that hasn't happened yet and one I hope we can avoid," he finally spoke.

"Are you serious?" she asked shocked, as she could not see any sign of deceit from Clark "Who's memories are they?" she asked.

"I am deadly serious Lana," he answered, "And the memories were mine. Somehow I found a way to transfer them back through time to a specific point in my life," he informed her.

"What was so terrible in that future that you would do that?" Lana inquired seeing how serious Clark was. She didn't doubt him for a second, especially in light of all the strange things that had happened in her life.

"I've seen a war that will tear our world apart, helped along by a dangerous artificial intelligence who's master is an alien warmonger," Clark told her. Not even thinking of lying to her in light of what he had learned from his future memories.

Lana just stared at him with wide eyes, as she could still see not one hint of Clark being dishonest with her, which was a huge change for him. She swallowed and decided to see how far Clark was willing to go in giving her information

"Why would an alien be interested in Earth, Clark?" she asked.

"Because the son of his greatest enemy is already on Earth, he arrived during the first meteor shower which signaled the death of their home planet called Krypton," Clark answered. Shocked that he was willing to tell Lana anything she wanted to know as if all his fears had been banished by what he had learned from the future.

Lana again felt her eyes widen at the answer she had been given. Was it even possible for such a thing to have happened and yet no one knew about it? She looked deeply into Clark's eyes and could tell she was about to step into the world he had tried so hard to keep secret from her and she was willing to take that step because it was what she had wanted since the tornado's had hit Smallville.

"How do you know this Clark?" she asked as gently as she could, praying he wouldn't back out now.

"Partly because Professor Swan told me and partly because," Clark started to answer and trailed off as he tried as hard as he could to finish his sentence.

Lana watched as Clark battled with himself to tell her the truth. She could see pain and fear in his eyes as he looked at her. She could tell that he was fearful of how she would react to whatever it was he was trying to tell her and she began to see it had never been a lack of trust, that Clark had never confided in her, but his own fear at her reaction to the truth. It opened her eyes to how stupid she had been at believing Clark had never trusted her with the truth and how her actions had only hurt him by pushing him to face a fear that clearly terrified him.

"Clark, please tell me," she said. "I promise I'm not going to walk out on you," she added.

"You already have once, because I didn't tell you. The only reason I didn't tell you was that because Pete almost got killed by a dirty FBI agent who worked for Lionel Luthor, for the information you want," Clark shot back.

"It scared me to know that I could put you in that position if I told you the truth so I held back. Yet I still came after you at the airport willing to tell you everything until I saw you hugging Lex," he continued, "after I found out about Lex investigating me all that time. He said he was my friend and seeing him hugging you just angered me all the more and I walked away out of blind rage instead of staying and keeping you here with me," he finished.

Lana listened to his answer and she was shocked to learn how Pete's life had been endangered by knowing the truth and it made her reexamine Clark's actions all the times he had told her he was protecting her again. She felt small for doubting him so much when all he had been doing was trying to keep her from harm. It also made her see that Lex and his father could not be trusted, if they could do such things as threaten the life of a teenage boy and stab a friend in the back by investigating him.

"I knew I saw you at the airport Clark and I'm sorry for leaving you. I was running away from my own fears and my own feelings for you because I felt they were too strong," she finally confessed to a truth she had fought acknowledging since she had boarded the plane that had taken her to Paris. "I guess we both messed up," she added with a small smile.

"We did, but not this time Lana," Clark returned. "If we're not careful the future between us will happen just as it did from the memories I received and I cannot allow that," he continued.

Lana forgot all thoughts about Jason and their relationship as she allowed all the love she had buried for Clark come rushing to the surface as she gazed into his eyes. They were on the brink of pulling down the last barrier that had always stood between them. "Tell me what you were going to say Clark, let me in," she whispered.

"I know about the ship that landed in the first meteor shower because I was in it," Clark finally spoke. "My birth name is Kal-El, the last known survivor of the planet Krypton. I was found by mom and dad and was adopted by them. We have kept the secret ever since. Pete only found out the truth because he found my space ship in the corn field after the tornado hit," he added.

Lana leaned back as shock washed through her. He finally told her his secret and yet she felt no fear of him or the truth he had just revealed to her. He was still the same Clark Kent she had always known and loved and suddenly it became clear to her why he had so feared telling her the truth. It was because he had arrived in the meteor shower that had killed her parents and he blamed himself for that fact and knowing that finally broke the damn she had built around her heart, where he was concerned and she reached up and pulled him into a deep kiss, which he returned just as deeply. When she pulled away she saw the fear he had kept buried in his heart fall away and she smiled at him. "You were not responsible for my parent's deaths Clark. You were just a child when that happened and you couldn't have had any control over what happened," she told him as she grasped his hand: "It was just a bad coincident," she finished.

"No it wasn't Lana. The meteor shower was the death toll of my home planet. The green and red meteor rocks are bits of my planet which is why they have such strange effects on people," Clark reminded her.

Lana suddenly understood even more about what had kept Clark from finally opening up to her. She had on more than one occasion stated how things would have been better, had the meteor shower never happened and how the people with powers were dangerous psycho's and she berated herself for not seeing the little clue's Clark had dropped when he spoke of people's fears of being different. She had been unknowingly a part of what kept Clark from telling her the truth.

"I'm so sorry Clark," she said as she fought the tears that threatened to break through. "I should have listened more carefully and seen the look of fear in your eyes and understand the truth, but I was blind to it all," she added feeling like she had failed Clark and herself in not looking deeply enough.

"It's okay. We still have a chance at fixing all the mistakes we made in the past if you're willing to risk everything," Clark whispered to her as he laid his head against hers.

In that moment Lana knew she would indeed be willing to risk everything for the love she and Clark shared, because it dwarfed every other relationship she had including the one she was currently in with Jason.

She gave in to the desires she felt and kissed him as deeply as she could which he returned with fever, "I'm yours now and forever," she whispered in reply when they broke off.

"And I am yours," Clark returned with a small smile as they settled against each other.

"Before we go any further I better break up with Jason," Lana finally spoke after enjoying the short silence.

"Do it by phone Lana. There are things about Jason and his family which you don't know yet, but I will tell you later," Clark told her. "You won't like any of it," he added.

Lana looked him in the eyes and again noted the serious look there and nodded in agreement. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and phoned Jason.

*

(The Talon)

Jason Teague put his phone down and tried desperately to contain the sudden surge of anger he felt at hearing Lana was breaking up with him. He knew Kent had to have had something to do with this, but it just angered him all the more to know he had lost Lana no matter what plans his mother had for the girl. He had thought he had finally found someone to love him for who he was and not his family name.

He looked around the Talon and growled before standing up and walking out of the place knowing he would have to tell his mother he no longer had access to Lana or through her Isobel. He knew she would not be pleased by this turn of events, even if she would be relieved that Lana's influence would be removed from him and she could continue to guide him.

*

(Kent Farm)

Lana felt like a weight had been removed from her after telling Jason their relationship was over and she guessed it was because she had always been in love with Clark, even after she ran away from him to Paris and met Jason. She put her phone away and rejoined Clark on the couch and pushed up against him, feeling the same comfort she had always felt around him. She had missed it when she had been in Paris even if she had tried to ignore that fact.

"Clark what do you know about Jason and his family?" she asked as she remembered what he had said before her phone call.

"This is going to hurt Lana, so brace yourself," Clark told her and she nodded in understanding. "You didn't meet Jason by accident Lana, it was set up by his mother because of your relationship to Isobel," he informed her and shocking her into silence. "The Teague family was the one who had burned Isobel at the stake, because they were rivals for the stones of power. Isobel vowed just before she died that she would destroy the Teague family when she returned," he continued. "They arranged for you to get possessed by Isobel's spirit, but they underestimated her and Jason couldn't control or manipulate her when she took you over. Didn't you think it was funny that Jason knew where to find Isobel's spell book?" he asked.

Lana had listened to everything Clark had said and found she was shocked and angry that anyone could do this just for some ancient stones. She didn't doubt anything Clark was telling her, because she could see it in his eyes that he was been truthful with her, "The stones are that important to them?" she asked in return.

"They and the Luthor's think if they unite the stones they will gain infinite power and knowledge. They will be willing to do anything to gain that, including murder and using people for their own aims," Clark told her gently. "Jason may have had feelings for you, but he was under orders from his mother the whole time, to keep you under control and once you found the stones his mother would have killed you to end the threat from Isobel," he continued.

"What about Isobel, what did she wanted the stones for?" she asked.

"Ah, this is the strange thing and one my future self only learned four years after this point in time," Clark informed her. "Originally Isobel was looking for the stones to help protect them as a last favor to her husband, a man who vanished from history. Sadly Isobel was corrupted by a witch under the orders of the Teague family who thought she would obey them and again they underestimated her because Isobel killed one of the family and went after the stones for herself before she has been burned at the stake," he added. "What's really strange is, her husband was not of this Earth, but a Kryptonian as am I and as was my father who fell in love with your aunt Louise. It seems that our families are connected by something stronger than either of us knows," he finished.

Lana's eyes widened when she heard Isobel had originally been a force for good before the Teague's corrupted her, hoping to gain more power. She was also shocked to learn that Isobel and her aunt Louise had fallen in love and in one case married a man from space, "Clark, was Isobel's husband part of your family?" she asked when she went over something he had said near the end.

"Yes he was, which shocked my future self I can tell you," Clark answered.

"It's a shock to me to know the connections between our families go deeper than just us," he told her as he ran his hands over hers.

"I like it," Lana said in reply. "I'm also pleased to hear Isobel was not always so evil," she continued. "Why did her husband have to leave?" she asked.

"He had responsibilities on Krypton just like those that were forcing my father to leave Louise, although she almost convinced him to take her with him and most likely would have had she not died," Clark told her.

"But then he would never have met and fallen in love with your mother right?" Lana shot back. "Which would have meant you would never have been born and we would never have met," she continued. "I guess her death did have a purpose in the end and that was to ensure we could meet and fall in love," she finished.

"Her involvement with my father led to her death, but as you said at the time we learned about it at least they had the courage to follow their hearts and yes if she had gone with him I most likely would not exist, " Clark responded.

"Clark what are these stones really?" Lana asked after a few minutes of silence.

"According to my father, they are the combined knowledge of the twenty eight known galaxies. I was supposed to unite them when I came back from been brainwashed into Kal-El, but my mother stopped me. Using black Kryptonite to undo what Jor-El had done," he informed her. "Sadly I can't ignore their importance, considering they are Kryptonian in nature and what may happen if the Teague's or the Luthor's unite the stones before we do," he finished.

"We?" Lana questioned with a smile, liking the sound of that.

"Yes we, we're together in this right?" Clark asked hesitantly.

"Of course we are Clark, I was just surprised that you actually said it and it makes me happy that you can say it," Lana replied. "I guess we can't turn our backs on this can we, especially if those stones end up in the wrong hands?" Lana stated with a sigh.

"No we can't, but I promise we won't let our search for these stones take over our lives," Clark said with a smile as he kissed her. "Plus if we don't find the stones we'll bring about a second meteor shower down on us as well as some rogue Kryptonian's who will kill a lot of people and help push Lex deeper down the path of hatred that he's on," he told her gently.

"How do the stones connect to the meteor shower and these rogue Kryptonian's?" Lana asked.

"A couple of months down the road you'll end up with one of the stones and will almost be killed by Jason's mother in a big struggle. Isobel will possess you one last time and use the stone to kill her as she vowed to do, but by using the stone she will trigger the meteor shower and awake the rogue Kryptonian's who will come in search for me. Hoping that I will help free their leader from a prison my father created. I refused and ended up fighting them and sending them to the zone, but the damage they caused and the death toll was huge and you almost ended up being a part of it," Clark explained.

Lana felt stunned to learn Isobel would use her to kill Jason's mother, although it seemed to be in the act of self-defense, but the repercussions of this action really shocked her. She could barely imagine living through a second meteor shower, let alone facing people who had the same abilities as Clark, but who were more interested in killing than saving people.

"There is something else about Isobel you should know Lana," Clark told her as he let her digest what he had said.

"What is it?" Lana asked.

"Isobel's magic can hurt and most likely kill me and any other Kryptonian's which means she's a good asset to have on our side if we can remove the taint the Teague's placed in her soul," Clark told her.

"Can that be done?" Lana asked, surprised by Clark's piece of information about Isobel's magic being effective against those like Clark.

"Yes, but it won't be easy. It will require the help of my darker half and by bringing him into it we risk losing us, if they both take over at the same time and decide to do their own things," Clark told her with a serious look.

"Your darker half?" Lana asked.

"You've met him a few times, most notably when I ran way to Metropolis. I used the red Kryptonite to do it and basically what it does is strip away my morals and emotions," Clark explained.

"That explains why you've always acted so differently when you had that ring on you and also why you kissed Chloe when we were supposed to go out on a date right?" Lana said, finally happy to understand why he was different at those times.

"That's right, Pete slipped it on when he was infected by those parasites from the caves and it turned me into Kal," Clark agreed. "I really wanted to hit him after that whole episode because it set us back so much," he continued.

"I know," Lana remembered those events quite easily. "But it's all behind us now and we can shape out our own future if we are careful," Lana told him.

"I'm up for trying to remove the taint from Isobel, because if we succeed I won't have to fear of her going out and killing someone," she told him.

"We'll need some help from my parents and some green and red meteor rocks," Clark said as he stood and moved over to the shutters. "Then it's up to Kal to hopefully, for once, do the right thing," he added with a grimace.

"I take it that's what the green rocks are for? To make sure he doesn't do anything stupid?" Lana asked as she walked over and joined him.

 

"Yes, it's the only guarantee we have to keep him under control," Clark agreed. "We'll do it later as Isobel may try and take you over if she feels threatened by what we are trying to do," he added.

"She can come back?" Lana asked shocked, as this was the first she had heard about it.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you. Yes she can come back, especially if your life is threatened," Clark replied with an apologetic look on his face.

"That's what happened when Jason's mother tried to kill you. Isobel took over and saved you both," he continued. "She also came back when our future selves went to china in search of one of the stones and your life was threatened at the time," he went on.

"I see. I guess in some way I should be thankful for her help in keeping me alive," Lana said with a strained smile.

"She had her moments, but don't give her too much credit, as that had more to do with keeping her host alive so she could continue to use her to find the stones," Clark reminded her.

"So when do you want to try this?" Lana asked.

"When my parents get back, I know we have both green and red Kryptonite at the house, so we don't have to collect any," Clark replied. "Still it's not going to be easy, especially with Kal involved," he added.

"What else do you know from the future?" Lana inquired.

"Stuff I wish I didn't," Clark replied with a sigh. "Things that will hurt us both, at least we have a chance to avoid those things," he continued.

"It's okay Clark, relax and tell me what you can," Lana said rubbing his arm to comfort him "Remember we are in this together now," she added.

"I know" Clark replied with a smile.  
2\. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

(Kent Farm)

Clark and Lana watched from the porch as his parents returned from their shopping trip. Clark was fighting the horrible memories of witnessing his father's fatal heart attack. It took all of his control not to rush over and hug him. He was also fighting seeing the dead eyed look of his mother after his father's death. Lana's firm grip on his hand kept him in control. He noticed the looks his parents shared as they noted Lana's presence as well the fact he was holding her hand.

"Lana, it's good to see you," Martha Kent said as she walked over and gave the younger woman a hug.

"You too, Mrs. Kent," Lana replied with a smile, having missed the comfortable atmosphere of the Kent Family.

"Lana," Jonathan nodded in greeting, still trying to figure out what was going on and the two seemed to be back together, even as he knew Lana was in a relationship with Jason Teague.

"Hello Mr. Kent," Lana responded, noting his confused expression even as he tried to work out what was going on.

"Mom, Dad we need to have a very long talk," Clark finally spoke. "Something happened and it changed things," he added, not sure how to really start explaining what had happened.

"What do you mean Clark?" Martha asked slightly worried. "Wait, let's get inside first and then you can explain," she added, deciding she would rather be sat down especially if this was bad news.

*

(Teague house)

Jason growled as he put the phone down after having had a very long talk with his mother about Lana breaking up with him. She wasn't pleased to learn that he had lost his position of control with the woman who housed their families' greatest enemy, but he had sensed she was happy to know he wouldn't be defying her anymore.

She had ordered him to try and still be friends with the girl, making it look like he excepted her choice and that he would like to continue being around for her. Somehow he doubted Lana would accept that so soon after breaking up with him, especially if he had been right and Clark was involved in some way with her choice. He decided to keep his mother off his back, so he would try it. He also decided to try and work with Lex Luthor in the pretense of helping Lana to uncover her links to the stones, as he knew Lex himself was doing, just that as his way of keeping an eye on Lana and the spirit of Isobel.

(Kent Farm)

Martha and Jonathan Kent sat back against the sofa, as Clark finished telling them everything he had shared with Lana and what had caused this turn around, for both of them. The idea that Clark had knowledge of the future inside his head was a little hard to take, until they remembered all the other strange stuff he got involved in due to who he was.

"So let me get this straight, somehow you have the memories of your future self inside you and because of what happened in this future you decided to tell everything to Lana?" Jonathan asked trying to get his mind to focus.

"Yes dad," Clark replied, knowing his father wasn't too happy about him telling Lana his secret. "I know what the consequences will be if I don't tell her. If I keep deceiving her to protect myself," he added with a frown.

"And what would happen, Clark?" Martha asked with much more warmth in her voice because she knew Clark had wanted to tell Lana everything for a long time and it had hurt him to have to keep lying to her, so she knew this must have been a relief to finally admit all to Lana.

"I'd drive her right into the arms of a man who would use her for his own ends, manipulating and betraying her at every turn as he betrayed me," Clark spat in reply as the memories of Lex Luthor's actions in the future returned to him.

"Who would that be Clark?" Jonathan asked, even as he suspected what the answer would be.

"Lex Luthor," Clark stated and everyone could hear the hate and anger in his tone as he replied.

Martha, Jonathan and Lana all shared looks between themselves, having never heard such hate and anger in Clark and it worried them to see how much these future memories were affecting him. Jonathan himself was also worried about what it was Lex had done to forever break his friendship with Clark, although knowing Lana was involved gave him a lot of clues. He took no real joy in knowing he had been right about not trusting Lex, because he knew it was hurting Clark to know his friend was not who he thought he had been. Just like he had found out, before Lana had left for Paris, that Lex had continued to investigate him, even after promising it was over.

"I'm sorry son," Jonathan finally spoke. "I know it must have been hard to know this, but I want you to focus on the fact that for now this hasn't happened yet," he stated. "I don't want you to lose yourself to these memories and feelings. Okay?" he cautioned him hoping to pull his son back into the here and now.

Clark closed his eyes and tried to force the memories back. He felt Lana slip her hand into his and squeeze it gently. He smiled as he focused on that. "You're right, dad," he finally said after a few minutes as he opened his eyes to look at his parents, "I need to be careful how I react to what I now know could be," he went on.

"Could be?" Martha inquired.

"The plan was for me to change things once I had received my future self's memories, mum. I've already done so by telling Lana everything, including why I kept it a secret and it's broken all the barriers between us," he explained.

"What about Jason, do you really think he would just let you go?" Martha asked, as she recalled what Clark had told her about Jason's true intentions had been with Lana, which had angered her greatly.

"Most likely no, he won't," Lana guessed with a hard look in her eyes. "But thanks to Clark I know what he really wants from me and Isobel," she added. "I know now it's because of him and his mother that I got possessed by Isobel in the first place, so that they could get their hands on these stones," she continued, hating that she had been used that way.

"And speaking of Isobel, Clark, do you really intent to go through with this plan of yours to cleanse Isobel's spirit?" Jonathan asked as the mention of the witches name reminded him what Clark intended to do later on.

"Yes I do dad, we have to," Clark replied. "Having Isobel's help will be of great benefit for us and we won't have to worry about her killing anyone anymore or hurting Lana by proxy," he explained.

"But Clark you intend to bring Kal into this and that's something me and your father are worried about," Martha responded. "He's unpredictable, dark, ruthless and dangerous," she reminded her son.

"I know mom. I haven't forgotten about that," Clark replied, knowing just how dangerous his other half could be, but he also knew they couldn't heal Isobel without him. "We need his help, which is where the green Kryptonite comes into play, to make sure he doesn't just take off and actually helps us," Clark added. "It's a risk I know, but it's one I'm willing to take to help Lana," he stated with a confident look. "Plus I kind of feel responsible for what happened to Isobel. She only ended up a part of this because one of my ancestors came here and fell in love with her, going so far as to marry her and then left her with the mission of finding and protecting the stones and that's what led to the Teague's corrupting her," he explained now with a annoyed look.

Jonathan and Martha almost sighed when Clark explained this part of what had made him make this decision, it was the one thing they could never make Clark let of from and that was his ability to always take guilt for things connected to the secrets onto his own shoulders.

They looked between the two teens and noticed the comfortable air that existed between them, as they thought about what they were going to do. It was clear Lana would not be walking away from Clark again and it would seem this new situation had given Clark a new confidence in himself, which had helped him break through his own fears and once again reach out to Lana, only this time he hadn't backed out.

"So how is this going to work, Clark?" Martha asked.

"Kal has a few hidden talents that Jor-El unlocked, when he brainwashed me mom," Clark answered. "He has a small ability to tap into people's minds and change them as well as use the key to heal Isobel. This ability vanished as soon as I retook control again, as did my ability to fly and that's why we need Kal," he added. "The key is more than it seems mom and in certain events it can be used for different things, he finished.

"Then we better get started. The sooner we get this done the better- as I don't like the idea of having Kal around," Jonathan finally stated.

"Neither do I Dad, but I'm willing to try to help Lana and heal Isobel. She deserves that much for been dragged into this by my ancestor," Clark replied.

*

(Luthor Mansion)

Lex kept an eye on Jason Teague as he talked about forming a partnership to find the stones. He was very suspicious about this, considering who's the man's mother was. His tale about wanting to do this to help Lana, while not far fetched, seemed to be fake as he took in the man's tone. He seemed quite angry with Lana and the only reason he could come up with for that was that Lana had dumped him, which almost made him smile.

He refocused on Jason as he continued to talk about how a partnership would be in his best interest, as far as finding the stones went. He began to think things through and while he knew he most likely could find the stones by himself in time, it might speed things up if he had help and it would also allow him to keep an eye on Teague.

"Okay Jason, I'm willing to accept your help in the interest of helping Lana," he finally said. "But you will inform me of any leads you come across. Is that clear?" he asked with a hard tone.

"Very clear Lex. I'm sure Lana will appreciate your efforts," Jason replied, trying to keep his voice clear of his anger, before turning and leaving, passing Lionel Luthor as he entered.

"You will have to be careful son, the Teague family are not to be trusted," Lionel cautioned his son who was pouring himself a whiskey.

"I know Dad," Lex frowned as his father sat down with a newspaper. "But by doing this I can keep an eye on Jason and maybe his mother as well," he continued. "I am sure he isn't doing this to help Lana. There was anger in his voice when he mentioned her," he added.

"I noticed, considering I was listening outside," Lionel agreed. "I didn't expect you to have company son, I'm sorry I didn't mean to overhear," he added when he noticed his son's look.

"Whatever you say Dad," Lex decided not to bother to get into another argument at the moment with his father. "I wonder what happened between him and Lana?" he said instead.

"Most likely Clark came to his senses and confessed his love to her," Lionel guessed with a shake of his head. "You should know by now son, those two are tied together. They just fear getting hurt by the other," he added as he read his paper.

Lex frowned at his father's answer because he knew, that first it was most likely true and second it meant Lana was untenable for him to process.

*

(Kent Farm)

Clark looked around the living room as they prepared to try to heal Isobel. He was nervous about this, but knew it had to be done if they were stop Isobel being a threat. He just hoped the green Kryptonite would be enough to control Kal. He kept his gaze on Lana as his mother and father approached them with the green Kryptonite they kept for emergencies, as well as the red Kryptonite ring he kept in his bedroom in case he ever wanted to escape his pain again.

"Clark, are you sure you want to do this?" Jonathan asked.

"Yes I am dad," Clark replied as he was handed the red Kryptonite. "Okay, we're set, so let's do this," he added smiling slightly before slipping the ring on.

Martha opened the led box she kept the green Kryptonite in and held it towards Clark, as soon as he put the ring on his finger. They all noticed his eyes flash red as his veins seemed to turn red as the red Kryptonite infected him

"I'm back," Kal said with a cocky grin before dropping to his knees, as he felt the effects of the green Kryptonite. "Stop," he shouted.

"No Kal," Jonathan replied with a frown. "We want your help in curing Isobel. Clark says you can," he added. "I know you know what we are talking about because you have access to his memories," he continued.

Kal stared at his step dad for a few seconds, the anger clear in his eyes before switching to Lana who was watching him closely.

"Considering Clark has decided to follow our father's will and find the stones I will help remove the threat of Isobel," Kal finally spoke. "But you let him know he can't go back on his word. He knows what will happen if he fails or someone like the Teague's or Luthor's get their hands of them first," he added.

"We promise," Lana responded. "He told us some of what will come if we fail," she reminded him.

"But not all of it Lana," Kal shot back. "There is much more to come," he warned them. "You all will need to be strong," he finished before taking the key out of Jonathan's hands and pointing it at Lana.

The key began to glow, as Kal focused on it, then three lights shot out of it at Lana. One was blue, one was yellow and the last was red, they converged near Lana's heart and became a brilliant gold. Lana's eyes turned purple as Isobel tried to regain control, but she couldn't break through the power of the key which was joined to the caves and Jor-El. Finally Kal moved the key slightly, so the beam was now centered on Lana's mind and the light turned silver before finally stopping and Lana collapsed to the ground unconscious.

"It's done," Kal informed them trying to ignore the effects of the green Kryptonite. "Tell Clark if Zod comes again and takes Lex he must not make the same mistake he did the first time," he informed them. "If he can't tell him he can use me to do it," he finished before removing the ring and Clark collapsed next to Lana as Martha finally closed the led box cutting off the rocks effects on Clark.

*

(Kawatche Caves)

Somewhere inside the caves a light began to glow from one of the pictures, before finally condensing into the figure of Jor-El, his body was translucent as if he was a ghost. He walked across the cavern and touched one of the pictures which suddenly changed to depict another meaning, which his son would soon find: this event had been unforeseen and had changed his son, so he was not so willing to turn his back on his destiny or his heritage and whilst this pleased him it also made him wonder what else his son now knew.

Until the stones were reunited and the fortress of Solitude had risen he could interact with his son only briefly and so he would have to wait to speak on this matter with him: he was at least taking this mission more serious now, because he knew what would happen if he failed. Finally he vanished, just as Lex Luthor walked into the caves and began to look around trying to see if there were any clues to the stones locations within the cave, unaware he was being watched by the spirit of Jor-El.

*

(Kent Farm)

Clark watched as Lana finally came around, he knew she would most likely be groggy at first, so he didn't bother to ask how she felt. She took the glass of water his mother had left for her and drank some of it before turning to him.

"Did it work?" she asked as his mom and dad rejoined them.

"Yes Lana, it did," Clark replied. "Kal actually helped," Clark said, still amazed his other self had been so helpful. "I guess because we are now actually fulfilling the mission our father gave us he decided it wouldn't hurt to help us," he added.

"Clark, do you remember what Kal wanted us to tell you?" Jonathan asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Yes I do," he replied. "I guess you're wondering who Zod is and what Lex's involvement with him is, right?" he asked with a heavy sigh, as he remembered what would happen if he was not careful.

"Yes, who is Zod, Clark?" Martha asked noting how worried her son now looked.

Lana noted it too and took Clark's hand in hers and tried to offer whatever comfort she could.

"Zod is the reason my planet no longer exists," he finally answered. "He was once Krypton's greatest general before he decided he wanted to rule the planet himself and tried to seize power. He failed and my father sentenced him to the phantom zone, along with his surviving followers," he explained. "While he failed to actually take power, his final gambit caused a chain reaction within Krypton which would destroy it. My father tried to warn the rest of the high council of this, but they refused to listen and forbid him to warn anyone or to leave the planet himself and so he sent me in a ship he made to take me to safety, here to the Kent's," he added. "Remember what I told you dad? He met your father when he himself was on Earth and he had been told if he ever needed help he'd know where to go and that was why I ended up here in Smallville," he added at his father's look. "The planet exploded just after my father sent me away. He died knowing at least his son was safe, as did my mother," he finished trying to keep his emotions under control as he finished.

Lana pulled him into a fierce hug as he finished. She could tell he was very upset about what he had lost and she couldn't blame him. She wished she had some way to understand how he truly felt.

"Clark, what is this phantom zone you mentioned?" Martha inquired.

"It's a prison, my father created, to hold the worst criminals of the known twenty eight galaxies. It is, as far as I understand it, a dimensional plane which exists outside ours," he explained. "The prisoners don't die they live on. Some lose their bodies and become phantoms, hence the name," he added. "The inside is basically like a desert world and people can be sent to the zone and if a member of my family is sent there by our enemies we can escape by way of a back door my father created. It's activated by our blood so no one, but a member of the family could use it," he finished.

"And I take it prisoners can escape as well correct?" Jonathan inquired with a worried frown.

"Sadly yes, it's one of the reasons Fine is so dangerous. He is a follower of Zod and wants to free him. Which is why he will try to pass himself off as a friend to me, when he arrives," he replied. "He failed the first time, but he succeed the second time by infecting Lex with a virus he got him to create, which would allow Zod to process him as well as give him Kryptonian powers, I was given a special dagger by my father and told to kill Lex, to stop Zod and instead I used it to kill Fine, which is exactly what he wanted me to do as it allowed him to access the zone and free Zod, straight into Lex," he explained with a pained look, as he remembered his failure. "Zod sent me to the zone and then tried to convert earth into a new Krypton. I managed to escape the zone thanks to Raya," he added.

"Who is Raya?" Lana asked, noting the way Clark had said the name.

"She was one of my father's assistances and she wanted to remain with my father when the end came. My father refused and sent her to the zone believing any life was better than death," he went on. "He gave her a crystal which could drive off the phantoms and the other criminals which is how she survived for so long. She helped me survive and make it to the gate," he almost stopped as he remembered how he believed she had been killed just as he left. "We were attacked just near the gate and she was stabbed. I thought she was dead. My escape however also brought other criminals to earth and I would spend a lot of time after dealing with Zod in taking these down," he added. "Raya survived long enough to arrive on Earth where the sun could heal her. She tracked me down and began to teach me, but one of the phantoms killed her before I could take him down," he stood up and paced a little, feeling the loss of Raya even as it hadn't happened, nor had he even met her yet.

"How did you stop Zod?" Lana asked, deciding to leave the subject of Raya alone for the time being, but she would ask him about her again later on.

"With the crystal my father had given her. I used it to suck Zod's soul out of Lex, just as I used it to pull the phantom out of the boy who killed Raya," he answered.

"Clark, if you find these stones first, will any of what did happen in the future happen now?" Jonathan asked.

"Anything is possible dad. There could be other ways for the black ship to arrive on Earth, but Zod will remain in the zone unless Fine does arrive here and can engineer his escape like he did last time," he answered. "We'll just have to be very careful from here on out," he added as he sat back down and leaned against Lana, letting everyone think over what he had told them.  
3\. Chapter 3

Time Wave Chapter 3

(Kent Farm)

Clark went over his new memories from his future self and his eyes widened when he remembered Kara was also on Earth in her ship, which was buried under the nearby dam. He also recalled John the Martian, who had helped him against Zod and the numerous escapee's from the phantom zone, as well as other threats alongside the Justice League members.

It would seem the more he concentrated the more he remembered from the future, who he had met and what had happened to them. He had made many friends, who like him had dedicated themselves to keep the innocent safe and stood side by side with him against Luthor and his army of meteor freaks and villains. Then the thought of Raya came back to him and he knew he could not leave her in the zone, not after she had sacrificed herself for him twice. He would have to go after her once he got the fortress up and running, which meant he needed to find the stones as fast as possible and the sooner he did that the better. He knew how to do it, but first he had to talk to Jor-El at the caves and so he stood and headed for the door. Lana was asleep, as were his parents.

+++

(Kawatche Caves)

Clark walked straight into the caves making sure that no one was around, like Lex or his father, before he headed to the wall which held the symbol of his house.

"Father, I need to talk to you," he said raising the key and pointing it at the wall. "This is important," he added, hoping his father would answer. "I need your counsel, things have changed father and I no longer intend to ignore you," he continued.

"I hear you my son," Jor-El finally replied. "I know what has happened to you and how it has changed things," he went on. "Speak and tell me what help I can be?" he commanded.

"I know the future father and I am confused about how to go about averting certain things," Clark responded. "Whilst making sure some things do happen," he added with a sigh.

"Time travel always brings with it a very heavy price, as well as the responsibility to use what you learnt wisely Kal-El," Jor-El informed him. "What is your primary concern at this time?" he asked.

"Lionel Luthor has the stone of transference, however in the future when Isobel kills Jason's mother with the other stone it activates the other and somehow transform Lionel into a vessel, you will use to aid and advise me. It also keeps him from being a threat to me," Clark explained. "I need to know how to make that happen without killing anyone?" he asked.

"Gather the crystal of air and stone and activate both, it and the crystal of fire stone you already have and it will activate the crystal of water stone, as long as Lionel Luthor has it on his person it should be enough to trigger the transformation my son," Jor-El responded. "Is there anything else?" he asked.

"Much father, how do I summon the Martian Manhunter?" he inquired. "I will need his help to stop the darkness that engulfed us in the future and his advice," he added.

"You would need the fortress for that Kal-El and for that you need all three stones," Jor-El told him. "There is no other way and J'onn will not come unless your life is in peril," he explained.

"Very well father, there is one more thing I need to discuss with you tonight, concerning our family," Clark said knowing this subject was going to be hard, but it had to be discussed.

"How so?" Jor-el asked, not seeing what his son could need to talk to him about concerning their family.

"Kara Zor-El, my cousin, is on this planet father. She was sent here by your brother to survive the destruction of Krypton. She is trapped under the dam in her ship," he explained. "Her father has given her a blue crystal which holds clones of my mother and himself," he continued. "I need to release Kara and show her the truth that her father was evil and obsessed, with my mother help like last time if that is possible."

"This is troubling Kal-El, my brother was a very great danger," Jor-El said with a sigh. "I need access to your memories to see what exactly happened, but we need the fortress first. Concentrate on that first my son and then we will see what can be done for Kara," Jor-El promised.

"Very well father, I will need my full abilities to do this quickly," Clark said knowing he was taking the first step on the road to his destiny, even if it was much bigger than before.

"This will hurt my son," Jor-El said before a blast of energy came out of the wall and hit Clark, causing him to scream in agony as he felt the energy wash over him.

Finally after five minutes the energy blast stopped and Clark dropped to his knees, feeling drained.

"Go home Kal-El and sleep, when you awake you will have full access to all of your abilities," Jor-El told him. "I am pleased to see how you have changed and decided to take your destiny seriously," he added, before he went silent leaving Clark to pull himself to his feet and speed home, after putting the key back in his pocket.

+++

(Luthor Mansion)

As Lex woke for the new day he wondered yet again where his search for the crystals would lead him and what kind of power they would give him. The small voice in the back of his head which told him they would bring nothing but trouble was ignored by him as it usually was. He had to be strong when dealing with these things, no matter what it cost him.

He was soon showered and on his way to his desk, only to find his father already there and reading a newspaper with a small grin on his face.

"Good morning son," Lionel said looking up at him for a minute before going back to the paper.

"Dad, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Lex asked with a sigh, wondering what game his father had up his sleeve now, as he walked over to his drink cabinet and prepared himself a small whiskey knowing he was going to need it.

"I came to warn you son," Lionel responded. "Genevieve Teague is back in town and she does not look happy. She is going to be a problem we have to deal with," he added. "Whatever deal you made with Jason will not keep him from obeying whatever his mother orders him to do, so be on your guard," he warned his son looking at him again as he sat at his desk .

Lex closed his eyes, knowing his father was correct in this, but hating to acknowledge it in any way. Jason and his mother were indeed a threat, especially when it came to recovering the stones and it had been clear to him that Genevieve Teague did not like Lana in any way.

"What do you think should be done dad?" he finally spoke wondering if his father had something up his sleeve.

"Keep an eye on them Lex, a very close eye," Lionel replied with a smile. Pleased that his son had asked "And should one come to talk to you do not turn your back on them, even for a moment," he added before closing the paper and walking out of the room leaving Lex to his thoughts.

+++

(Kent Farm)

When Clark awoke he felt better than he ever had before and he quickly super sped to get ready for the day, finally coming down to the kitchen to find his parents and Lana already up and waiting for him.

"Hey," he said as he sat at the table.

"Clark, where did you go last night?" Jonathan asked, having come down to check on his son the night before, only to find him missing.

"I needed to talk to Jor-El on a few points, as well as get access to all off my abilities, so that I can find the stones quickly," Clark replied, knowing his parents would not like the idea of him trusting Jor-El.

"Are you sure it is wise to listen to him? Considering what he has done in the past?" Martha asked worried, as she always was when Jor-El's name came up.

"Yes mom," Clark replied with a smile. "All he wants is for me to be ready to save this planet, but I was so blind to it before and I refused to listen and it will cost us dearly," he explained to this parents and Lana who was listening closely. "In the future I saw I wasted years before I became what I was destined to be and because of that we were not ready to react when the war came," he continued as the memories surfaced, "I lost so many good friends or my future self did, including Chloe," suddenly Clark stopped, as he remembered another important fact. "Talking of Chloe, she knows about me," he said.

"How is that possible?" Lana inquired, wondering how her friend had found out and why she kept it to herself before shaking her head knowing exactly why. Chloe was very loyal to Clark and would not expose him, because it would be a betrayal of their friendship.

"Alicia showed her after setting me up. She was hoping Chloe would expose me so we could be together without hiding from everyone what we were," Clark answered. "But it backfired and all it did was giving Chloe a chance to prove how good a friend she really is. She kept the secret and finally told me she knew during the second meteor shower and afterwards she helped me anyway she could. I owe her a lot," he continued.

His parents and Lana looked between themselves as they took this information in. They were pleased to know Chloe could be trusted to keep the secret, but still uneasy that the knowledge could fall into the wrong hands somehow.

"I'm going after the third crystal. I'll be back soon," Clark finally said as he stood. "Now that I can fly it shouldn't take me too long to get to china and back," he added. "Lana can you go and see Chloe and bring her here?" he asked.

"No problem Clark," Lana said with a nod as she walked out followed by the Kent's, as Clark seemed to launch himself into the air and vanished very fast.

"Wow" she said, awed by Clark's powers before looking at the Kent's, who also looked awed. "Has he ever flown before?" she asked.

"Only once and at that time he was Kal," Martha replied, looking back at Lana. "Jonathan was in the hospital so he couldn't see it, but I did," she added with a small smile.

"I'll be back soon with Chloe," Lana said, as she grabbed her jacket and car keys and headed for her jeep, wondering what Clark was going to say to their friend when he got back.

+++

(Teague House)

Jason watched his mother walk up and down his living room, berating him yet again for his failure to keep Lana and through her Isobel close and under control. He knew his mother had a temper, but this was beginning to get on his nerves and finally he snapped.

"Mother instead of shouting at me, why don't we just track the stones ourselves instead of using Lana?" he shouted at her, almost causing a look of shock to appear on her face.

"We have been trying that for years Jason, as you well know," his mother hissed. "The Luthor's have the map which leads to one of the stones, although they still cannot understand it and I am sure they have at least one of the stones in their possession," she told him with a glare. "When you go back to the mansion I want you to see what you can find. Is that understood?" she ordered.

"Yes mother," Jason said through gritted teeth as he watched his mother storm out

+++

(Kent Farm)

Chloe sat with Lana and Clark's parents, wondering what was going on and why she had been asked to come here if Clark was not around. Something told her it was important, but she had no idea what it was. Suddenly the door opened and Clark walked in looking quite pleased with himself.

"I did it, I got the stone," he said as he walked over. "Hi Chloe, thanks for coming and don't worry I'll explain what's going on in minute," he added, as he noticed his blond haired friend before making himself some juice and then joined them at the table.

"So Clark, what can I do for you?" Chloe asked beginning to feel a little nervous.

"I'm different Chloe and I know you know that, thanks to Alicia," Clark told her while looking her dead in the eye. "I know you'll keep the secret Chloe, because you did before" he added.

"What do you mean by that Clark?" Chloe asked, a little confused how he knew and what his other comment meant.

She listened as Clark began to explain what had been going on the last day or two, as well as learning the full truth of her friend's existence. It was a huge shock to learn that, unlike the meteor infected people in Smallville, Clark was actually an alien from another world. Which when she thought about it she found to be really cool. She also learnt why he had tried so hard to keep people from learning the truth, as it was never a matter of trust, but more to keep them safe from people like the Luthor's and Teague's and she let go of the little piece of her that had been really annoyed he had not told her the truth.

What really blew her mind though, was listening to Clark tell her future events and actions she had not done yet. Just how far she would go to help him and those others he called the Justice League to keep the world safe, although according to him they failed due to too many mistakes. When he finally stopped, she looked around and noted the Kent's were smiling at her, whilst Lana was just watching Clark which was no surprise, as Lana had already told her she had dumped Jason and gotten back together with Clark when she had come and got her.

"This is so big," she finally said. "Clark, how do we avoid what you know is to come?" she asked.

"By being very careful Chloe," Clark replied with a sign. "I know it's not going to be easy, especially because of Lex's obsession with me, the caves and the stones, but it can be done, my future self was sure of it," he informed them all. "We're not alone in this Chloe. Once I've gotten the fortress up and running I will begin rounding up those League members who are already active, as well as rescue my cousin and Raya," he continued.

Lana again sensed the undercurrent of emotion in Clark's voice when he mentioned Raya and she couldn't help but think there was an emotional attachment there, that Clark either did not realize was there or was trying to hide from her. Considering how honest he had been with her since this had all started she guessed it was the first option and she wondered what would happen should he succeed in rescuing this Raya from the zone which scared her considering what Clark had said about it.

"Clark, do you think it's worth the risk of allowing Zod and the other prisoners to escape?" she asked as gently as she could.

"Yes I do. Raya died to save me twice Lana. I owe her this and she deserves a life outside of the zone," Clark shot back, a little anger coming through in is voice. "I am not going into this blind believe me. I have a plan to get in without attracting too much attention and get out again," he told them. "You just have to trust me," he said with a little smile.

"And if those prisoners do escape Clark?" Jonathan asked, torn somewhat with this as on one hand he was proud of his son's determination to save this Raya, whilst on the other he was afraid something would go wrong and he would end up trapped in the zone.

"I can deal with them dad, as I did before and even if Zod escapes, as long as we have the crystal Raya has, we can stop him and return him and them to the zone," he answered. "Now I have to go to the caves and activate the two stones I have and hope Lionel has the third one on him so Jor-El can take control of him," he stated, before getting up and leaving the house before anyone else could say anything.

"Is it me or when he talks about this Raya is there some other emotion in his voice?" Martha asked.

"It's not just you Mrs. Kent, I hear it too," Lana responded. "I don't know what it is exactly, but I think he has some deeper feelings for her than he realizes," she added.

"It could be because she is a fellow Kryptonian and something in their DNA attracts them to each other," Chloe speculated. "Plus they are some of the last known survivors of their world, so it maybe some kind of obligation written in their DNA to try and repopulate their species and he can't do that with his cousin can he?" she went on.

"What are you going to do Lana?" Martha asked, worried that if what Chloe had said was true, it would harm Lana's and Clark's relationship which had only just got back on track.

"I don't know yet, but I can't get in the way of them wanting to save their species, but I am not willing to give up Clark completely," Lana responded. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens when he rescues Raya," she added, before going quite and she thought over what she had just said.

+++

(Kawatche Caves)

Clark stood in the secret chamber, within the caves, looking down on the platform which held the crystal stone of fire whilst in his hand he held the crystal stone of air. He knew what he was about to do was risky, but things would be better off with Lionel Luthor under the influence of Jor-El, especially with what was coming. He placed the stone in its supposed holding and joined the crystals together and quickly backed off as both lit up with a bright light before he super sped towards the Luthor mansion, hoping to recover the crystal stone before anyone else saw it once the transformation of Lionel was complete.

+++

(Luthor Mansion)

Lionel Luthor was looking out of the window of the mansion's living room, wondering what move to make next when he felt a spasm go up his spine before he cried out in pain and the last thing he saw was a white light from his jacket pocket before he blacked out and fell to the floor. No one in the mansion saw Clark, as he broke in using his super speed to help disable the electronics which powered the cameras and alarms before entering the living room and finding Lionel on the floor unconscious near the window. He knew he did not have much time so he quickly walked over and searched Lionel's pockets until he found the crystal stone of water and transference before super speeding out of the room, just as the far door opened and two security guards came in to find their boss's father out cold on the floor and calling for an ambulance.

 

+++

(Kawatche Caves)

Clark reentered the cave's secret chamber with the last stone and hoped he had given it enough time to work on Lionel before he removed the stone, but he had not wanted to run the risk of Lex coming back to find it on his father where Lex then could hide it somewhere that he could never find it in time, especially as he had stolen the fire crystal stone from him when he had been transformed into Kal by Jor-El. He placed the crystal beside the other two and watched as they again all shone with the white light before they all floated into the air before joining together to form a new blue crystal. He knew it was the crystal stone of knowledge and the one thing he needed to create the fortress of solitude. He took a deep breath before grabbing the crystal, knowing what would happen next.

+++

(Arctic)

Clark looked around the familiar landscape before he threw the stone of knowledge as hard as he could and waited until the crystal stone seemed to come to a dead stop and ploughed into the snow. A few minutes later a deep rumbling began and he watched as the fortress began to build itself, just as he remembered from his future memories. He was smiling as he felt he had taken a step in the right direction.

+++

(Kent Farm)

Clark reentered the house smiling and noted the others were still at the table discussing what he had told them. He didn't mind, he'd take any advice he could to avoid making a mistake which could lead to the dark future his future self had lived.

"The fortress is up and running," he told them. "That's the biggest step done," he added, as he sat back down. "Now we'll visit and see what Jor-El can come up with, to help me free Kara and Raya," he said, noting his parents didn't look too happy about being anywhere near Jor-El.

"Where exactly is the fortress, Clark?" Martha inquired.

"Same place as before, the arctic, although why it picked there I don't know," he answered. "Maybe because it's out of the way or because it was programmed into the crystals," he said almost to himself as he thought it over.

"Guess we should get some decent coats then," Jonathan mused wondering exactly what they were going to see and what this fortress actually was like.

"That's okay dad, the fortress regulates its own temperature and I've already told Jor-El to warm the place up for when we go," Clark responded with a smile. "Let's go," he said and whilst he quickly got up and left the others shared some unsure looks.

 

+++

(Luthor Lab)

Lex looked into the room which held three of the meteor infected people, his people had so far located. One of them could jump twice his own height, one could light fire from his hands and the last could make people do what he wanted, which he had used to help himself gamble. He was looking for more, believing the more he studied them the more ways he could learn to fight them, as well as maybe unlocking the secret that was his friend Clark Kent. He turned and exited the corridor, looking for his head scientist wondering what news he had on their experiments.

+++

(Fortress of Solitude)

Clark watched in amusement, as his parents, Chloe and Lana looked around the fortress in awe and surprise. He could remember events from his future self, where these people had visited the fortress bar his dad and the one that gave him the greatest pain was the day that happened twice and Lana died, only for him to turn back time and save her, only to lose his father instead. He closed his eyes and blocked the images of that day out as much as he could, before opening them again. Privately swearing he would do everything possible to stop that day from coming true.

"This is amazing Clark," Lana said, still in shock at seeing such a lovely structure which was like nothing else on Earth. "Is this really what you're homeworld was like?" she asked.

"Not all of it," Jor-El was the one who answered, finally speaking up. "We had great lakes like yours and gardens and forests," he added. "I welcome you all. I know, to the Kent's I have not exactly been helpful, but things have changed and we are no longer at cross purposes," he continued.

"We'll see, Jor-El," Jonathan responded, not exactly willing to trust the spirit so easily.

"Father, I would like to introduce my best friend Chloe and my girlfriend Lana," Clark said, hoping his parents and Jor-El could learn to get along in the future.

"I am pleased to meet you both, having viewed Clark's implanted memories of the future I know both of you will be of great help in averting the destruction that may yet still come," Jor-El responded. "Your loyalty to my son is pleasing and I know his mother would have been very pleased to know he had such good friends," he added, causing both Lana and Chloe to smile, pleased by this.

"Father, have you worked out a way to show Kara the truth about Zor-El?" Clark asked, hoping to rescue his cousin as quickly as possible.

"I am afraid not yet, Kal-El, but I am working on it, now that I know the circumstances surrounding her," Jor-El answered. "My main concern Kal-El is the ease with which you used the blue crystal, once you heard your mother's voice and I am wondering if Zor-El placed some kind of device which lowers your defenses on it," he added. "He was very smart and he would have done anything to ensure the crystal was activated," he warned his son.

The others all stayed silent, having already listened to Clark explain the events surrounding his cousin, his uncle and mother and none of them knew how to help, so they just listened.

"Then I will leave you to work on it, but we can summon J'onn now and I want to enter the zone to rescue Raya," Clark said, knowing eventually his father would think of something to help Kara.

"Kal-El entering the zone at this time is very dangerous, especially as you will be powerless," Jor-El said in response.

"I have to agree Clark," Jonathan said, still not liking this, but knowing in his heart that nothing would stop his son from entering the zone.

"I know, believe me I know the dangers," Clark said. "But I have to get Raya out of the zone. She deserves no less than my best effort after what she did for me last time," he added heatedly.

Lana and Chloe both shared a look at this, seeing once again the change in Clark when he spoke about Raya. They wondered what would happen if Clark was successful in rescuing Raya.

"Very well Kal-El, if you are determined to rescue Raya I will open the portal, but be very careful my son, this will not be easy especially as Zod himself is in there," Jor-El relented.

Lana quickly walked over and kissed Clark, knowing there was a slim chance she may not see him again. She smiled at him, as a portal opened to their left engulfed in a purple light. Clark took a deep breath before charging into the portal, which vanished a few seconds later.

"Do you think he will make it?" Chloe asked fearfully.

"Kal-El knows what to expect in the zone, thanks to the memories he has from his future self. He also knows where Raya is located within the zone, that should give him a good chance," Jor-El stated. "We must have faith that he will succeed," he added, to which the others nodded.  
4\. Chapter 4-0

Time Wave Chapter 4

(Luthor Lab)

Lex sat behind his desk going over the report the head scientist of the project had given him with a smile. Things were at last coming along. First he was pleased to know that somehow his father had fallen into a coma which removed him as a threat for the stones as well as leave him in charge of Luthor Corp.

As for the project itself they had finally begun to put together designs for a detector which should allow them to find other meteor infected people and he knew the first person he was going to try it on and that was his friend Clark Kent. He was sure the detector would show him that Clark was indeed infected and have powers which allowed him to do the strange things he believed he did.

"This is good news doctor," he finally spoke. "When do you believe you'll be able to start putting it together?" he inquired as he leaned back into his chair.

"Three to four months Mr. Luthor," the head scientist said a little nervously. "This is such a new area of research sir, that we are still unsure exactly how the meteors have such effects on people, but we are making progress on that and should soon have an answer," he added.

"I can understand that doctor, just make sure you do not let up and keep working until you have the answer and as soon as you can start putting the detector together do so. I'll want to test it as soon as possible," Lex responded with a grin. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to pay a visit to Belle Reve to see how my father is doing," he added, his grin growing wider before he got up and left, leaving the head scientist to slowly take a deep breath and leave the office glad to know he had not angered his boss during his report.

*

(Fortress of Solitude)

Lana sat next to the Kent's and Chloe as they waited for Clark to return from the Phantom Zone, hopefully with Raya, she was thinking about the things which were to come, although she knew Clark had not told them everything. There was much more for them to go through, she was sure, especially concerning her. She remembered how he had looked at her when he had awoken from the time blast. There was such a deep longing in his eyes as well as awe and hope that it had taken her breath away to see it. What had happened in the future apart from her allowing herself to be duped by Lex into a relationship? What else had Clark seen in that future which had made him look at her like that? She vowed to find out once he got back.

"You all need rest," Jor-El suddenly spoke. "I suggest returning to Smallville. Kal-El may need a while," he added.

"He has a point," Martha said reluctantly. "We don't know how long this is going to take and we all have other things we need to do," she added.

The others all nodded, even if none of them looked happy about it. They all got up and began to prepare to head back to the caves.

"Jonathan Kent, do not forget to remove the key from the platform in the second chamber. It would do us no good to allow it to fall into the hands of our enemies," Jor-El reminded him.

"I'll remember," Jonathan said, as he headed back to where they had appeared and closed his eyes as he felt the same strange sensation as when they had arrived wash over him.

(Kawatche Caves)

Jonathan looked around, as he removed the key from the very strange platform, knowing his son had other means to get back to the farm. They left the caves to find it was night time.

"Lana, Chloe if you want you can sleep over at the farm, until Clark gets back," Martha offered. "You both look exhausted and won't let either of you driving to far like that," she added.

Both girls nodded and smiled in gratitude at the offer, before following the Kent's to their truck. They were barely able to keep their eyes open, yet both still worried Clark would not make it out of the Zone and be trapped there forever, even after learning just what their friend was truly capable off did not stop their worrying.

They both knew there was so much to do if they were to stop what Clark said was coming and they both knew Clark would have to take many risks in the future, as would they and those who Clark would bring into this and they both hoped they were up to the challenge.

*

(Phantom Zone)

Clark hid as he changed his clothes for the rags he had managed to find. It would do him no good to walk anywhere in the zone with his own clothes, all it would do would be to bring attention to him especially from Zod and his followers. Luckily he remembered a lot from his future memories concerning the zone, as he had been sent here more than once by his enemies, so he remembered where he could find things that would make him look like he had been in the zone for some time.

He was finally ready after smearing dirt and sand over his face and hands and prayed it was enough to avoid gaining any attention from any of the other prisoners. He began to head to where he remembered Raya was living, knowing he had to be careful how he introduced himself to her as without his powers he was very vulnerable, even to someone he was here to help, who would suspect him to be a threat.

As he walked to Raya's camp he began to replay the memories from his future-self of his time with the young woman. He knew time worked differently in the zone and so Raya was still very young by Kryptonian standards. He remembered the few days they had together on Earth before Baern, one of the prisoners who had escaped the zone killed her. He closed his eyes as he felt a pain at seeing that fatal moment once again.

He stopped and sat down as he tried to figure out why he was so affected by this. Why he was so drawn to Raya as his future-self had been? He did not want to jeopardize his repaired relationship with Lana, but he could not deny a certain attraction to the woman, even if he himself had never met her.

He wondered what the hell was going on, his future self had never really thought about it, due to the pressure of dealing with the escaped zoners. He had a reason to ignore it and escape it, but Clark knew he would have to deal with it this time, if he wanted to keep his relationship with Lana going. He would talk to Jor-El about it, once he returned and had a moment alone. He sighed, before getting back up and continued towards where he knew Raya was.

 

+++

(Luthor Mansion)

Lex sat behind his desk, drinking his whiskey and was thinking over the strange occurrence that had befallen his father. What had happened to put him into a coma? No matter how he truly felt about his father, he needed to know what had happened to him, especially if this was the result of an attack by the Teague's or someone else who was interested in the stones, he did not yet know about.

The doors to his living room opened to admit Jason Teague, who looked even more frustrated than he had the last time he had seen him. He frowned, as he wondered if he knew anything about what had happened to his father.

"Lex, I just got off the phone with a contact from china. He believed that he had located one of the stones hiding place, but it's gone and the site has been dug up," Jason told him with a frown, as he made his own drink, having already been chewed out by his mother for this and he did not want to go through it with Lex

"Did he say anything else like who may have taken the stone?" Lex inquired, frowning even more at this news.

"Just that he was somewhat young and maybe had brown or black hair, that's it," Jason replied, as he drunk the whiskey in one go, before facing the man. "Someone else is after the stones, someone we don't know about," he added.

"Maybe," Lex responded, frowning even more as he thought about the description, even if it was not a very good one. Young with black hair was a dead giveaway for Clark, but how could he have got to China so fast and then back again? That is if it was him.

"Lex, we have to find the last stone quickly, that way we may be able to draw out whoever has the other two," Jason stated.

"My father is in a coma Jason, whoever is after these stones are dangerous, so we have to be careful and not make any rash moves," Lex replied as he stood up. "There is something we are missing here and I think it's time I had a little chat in the morning with Lana and Clark to see if they know anything more about this," he told him with a smirk. "I think they are more involved in this than we know and considering that she suddenly broke up with you for no reason, I am guessing she's decided to work with Clark to recover the stones," he continued smirking, even more when Jason growled at this.

"Why Kent?" Jason asked, hating even thinking about the other man's name.

"I still have not been able to find what attracts Lana to Clark so much or vice versa, but it's been there ever since I met them," Lex answered. "But still you can try and get Lana back later, let's focus on finding the stones first," he added, to which Jason nodded in agreement, even as he had a brief daydream of beating Clark to a stupor.

+++

(Phantom Zone)

Clark paused before quickly diving behind a dune, as two zoners ran past him, obviously trying to get away from someone and considering how close he now was to Raya's camp, he suspected that was who they were running away from.

He did not recognize either prisoner and for that he was grateful, as he did not want to come face to face with Zod or the prisoner who would become Bizarro. The memories of those two were very painful and disturbing. His weakness and foolishness were truly exposed during his future fights with them and he vowed to do much better this time.

Finally the area was clear and he ran to the nearby tent, which served as Raya's home and he prayed this meeting would go well. He came to a halt, as he entered the tent and saw Raya for the first time in this time frame and was almost blown away by the powerful wave of emotions he felt, at seeing here alive and well instead of being in her last moments in his memories.

She was exactly as his future memories showed him, with longish blond hair and startling hazel eyes. He doubted that he was in love with this woman because it was so different than what he felt for Lana and there was the fact he did not even really knew this woman yet.

"Who are you?" Raya demanded to know, a little unsure why she suddenly felt so strange. She felt almost as if a powerful longing was trying to overtake her, but why?

"Easy Raya, I am not a threat to you, in fact I am here to save you," Clark responded, stepping closer as much as he dared. "I can't say much here Raya, but I am a friend and I have risked much to come here for you. I need you to trust me for a little while and once we are out of the zone I promise I will tell you everything," he added.

Raya stared at the stranger, her feeling of confusion was mounting and yet she felt she could trust this person, she just did not know why, and how did he plan to escape from the zone?

She knew of only one way and to open that portal you had to have the blood of the family of El. Suddenly her breath hitched, as her mind jumped to the solution and she stared long and hard at the young man before her, barely daring to hope her sudden realization was true.

Was it even possible, that the son of her mentor was here, but how could he have known about her? There was so much that was unclear, but he had promised her answers once they were gone and so she decided to put her questions to one side and concentrate on getting out of here without being seen.

"Very well, I will trust you for now," Raya said. "If we are heading to where I think we are, we will have to be very careful not to be followed by Zod or any of the other prisoners," she stated as she gathered the few things she had brought with her from Krypton, especially her crystal, the last gift Jor-El had given her and the only reason she had survived this long in the zone

"I know, one thing I do not need right now is Zod getting out of here," Clark said with a shake of his head. "Hopefully, if we take the southern route, we should not attract much attention as so few prisoners reside there," he added, using the memories of his future self to plan the best way to escape this place.

"How do you know that? You sound as if you have been here before, but that is impossible if you are who I think you are," Raya inquired, a little surprised by his suggestion.

"It's a long and complicated story Raya, I promise once we are out of here you will hear it all, but we have to move as quickly as possible," Clark responded, hoping they would not encounter too much trouble on the way to the portal.

"Agreed," Raya said, knowing he spoke the truth before she led him out of the tent and began to run south, followed by her new friend.  
5\. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

(Kent Farm)

Lana looked around, feeling very confused as she found herself in the Fortress of Solitude, however she did not remember coming back here. She looked around and noted there was a strange purple glow around the entire structure, which looked a little familiar to her. She tensed as she felt someone appear behind her and she quickly turned to find an almost exact duplicate of herself standing behind her, just with longer hair and an air of confidence about her that she did not posses.

"Hello Lana," the woman said with a smile. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, without the taint within me, controlling me," she added. "I thank you and Kal for freeing me," she continued.

"Isobel?" Lana asked shocked, wondering if this was actually happening or was she dreaming this?

"Yes and you are correct, this is a dream Lana," Isobel responded. "We have talked before, but sadly I was not myself. The taint placed in me by my enemies caused me to torment you in those moments, but that is all changed now, thanks to you and Kal," she explained.

"His name is Clark," Lana pointed out, unsure how to proceed, this was so unreal.

"That is his human half Lana, how he was raised, but he is a Kryptonian and that is what Kal represents," Isobel responded. "He will have to find a balance between the two in the future and you will help him, as I helped his ancestor, my husband all those years ago," she continued.

Lana remembered what Clark had told her about Isobel being married to his ancestor and that he had been forced to leave her, due to his responsibilities back on Krypton. She wondered what her ancestor had learned in her time, together with Clark's ancestor.

"I learned much from him Lana," Isobel said and suddenly Lana realized Isobel could read her thoughts, but as she went to say something she realized as they were sharing the same body that was not really surprising. "His name was Xan-El, although I did not learn that until after we fell in love. He called himself Alexander before that," she explained. "We had two years together, they were the best times of my life and after he was forced to leave I took it upon myself to protect the stones of power, sadly I failed," she said and Lana watched as her face conveyed the pain that thought brought her.

"It wasn't your fault Isobel. You couldn't have known others knew of the stones presence on Earth," Lana tried to reassure her. "I am sure Xan-El would have warned you of the dangers before he left," she added, going of what she knew of Clark and what he had told her about Jor-El during his time with her aunt Louise

"He did warn me many times of the dangers of being with him, as well as the fact that he could not stay, but I did not care, I loved him and that was all that mattered," Isobel answered. "Xan-El is a lot like Kal-El, especially his constant worry about helping people and the ones he loves," she told her with a gentle smile. "But unlike Kal-El he was raised to follow in the footsteps of his family. Kal or Clark if you prefer, does not know much about his real home or his people and that will change. You just have to be strong and stay true to your feelings for him," she advised.

"How did you do it?" Lana asked. "How could you marry him knowing he would leave you?" she asked again.

"Sometimes you can love someone so much you would be willing to do anything for them, even give them up or share them if needed," Isobel responded. "In time you will learn this Lana. I will explain more, when you sleep tomorrow, it is time for you to wake up," she added with a smile, before she the fortress and the purple light vanished.

Lana jerked awake and quickly looked around, noting she was in Clark's bed and she sighed, wondering if what she had dreamed had been real or some kind of wishful thinking. She guessed she would find out tonight, when she went back to sleep. All she could be thankful for was that if it was real that they had removed the taint from Isobel.

She thought over what Isobel had said and wondered at the things she had learned from Xan-El, and her mysterious smile, as she spoke her last words before she woke up. What had she meant by that? She sighed before shaking her head and got up to have a shower, as her mind wondered how Clark was doing.

She quickly shook her head ag6ain before getting ready for the day and joining Chloe and the Kent's, who were already awake and downstairs having breakfast. They all smiled, as she joined them at the table and she returned it, as Martha placed some cereal before her.

"Did you have a good night Lana?" Martha asked, as she drunk her coffee.

"I had a weird night Mrs. Kent," Lana replied, deciding to be honest about what she had experienced the night before. "I met Isobel, somehow she appeared in my dreams, so that we could talk," she explained.

"Are you sure it was real?" Jonathan inquired, looking up from the paper he was reading.

"I think so Mr. Kent," Lana responded. "I'll know tonight, she said she'd appear again," she continued. "We know for a fact that she is still inside me, all we did before was removing the taint within her. I do not believe we have anything to fear from her now. I think she is trying to help us and especially me," she went on.

"How do you mean?" Chloe asked, intrigued by this new development.

"Isobel's last comment seemed to be advice for the future. She told me she learned a lot from her husband about Krypton and I think she is going to teach me about it," Lana explained.

The others all exchanged looks between themselves, wondering what this would entail, but knowing it was Lana's choice to do it and they could all see that she had chosen to do it, just by the look on her face.

+++

(Phantom Zone)

Clark jumped out of the way of the incoming phantom, just as Raya used her crystal to chase it away. He rolled back to his feet and cursed, knowing they had to be faster now, especially if that prisoner told any of the others about them. He looked around before following Raya, as she took off again. He knew they were close to the portal and all they had to do was keep going as quickly as possible.

As they turned the last bend he was relieved to see the portal, just as he remembered it. He looked back, but saw no one. He ran over to where Raya stood before him, next to the panel which stuck out from the portal. He took the knife Raya offered him and as he cut his hand he heard a horrible scream in the distant and knew they had to be quick, because the other prisoners would be coming hard and fast. He placed his cut hand on the panel whilst grabbing Raya with the other and watched as the portal came to life. Raya and he were engulfed in a bright light.

Two hilltops away Zod watched Raya and her companion leave with an angry snarl on his face. His body had long ago decayed, but his spirit remained just like many other prisoners within the zone. Had he known someone new had entered the zone he would have kept an eye on him, but somehow he had managed to avoid being seen by anyone, especially his followers.

He promised himself, that one day he would be free and when he found Raya and her companion he would make them suffer for this indignity, whilst wondering how they had escaped, as none of the prisoners could work out how the portal worked and none of them could capture Raya due to her crystal. He growled again before turning and heading back to his own camp waiting for his followers back in the real world to free him.  
6\. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

(Smallville Woods)

Clark coughed as he opened his eyes and noted with relief that he was back on Earth, as he saw he was surrounded by trees. He looked quickly to his left where he saw Raya, who was looking around with wide eyes, as she adjusted to being out of the zone for the first time since Krypton had exploded.

"Are you okay?" he asked, as he let go of her hand, even if a small part of him did not want to.

"I am, thank you Kal-El," she said, turning to face him with a small smile. "I am correct aren't I? You are Kal-El, son of my mentor Jor-El and this is Earth?" she asked, as they both stood up.

"I am Raya and I am sorry I couldn't say anything back there, but I was afraid that if Zod found out that the son of his greatest enemy was in the zone, we never would have made it out," Clark responded, not surprised she had guessed who he was.

"That is understandable Kal-El," Raya said, once again looking around, pleased to once again being able to see trees and a clear sky instead of the sandy and rocky ground of the zone. "How did you find out about me? I doubt Jor-El would have sent you into the zone for me?" she inquired, turning back to him.

"That is part of a very long story Raya and as I promised I will tell you it, but once we are back home. We have a lot to do and we need to clean up," Clark replied with a small smile. "I take it you know about the sun's effects on us?" he asked, his smile growing.

"I do, although I have never been here before, however I have been on other planets that had yellow suns, which affected us the same way as they do here," Raya replied with a nod.

"Then follow me," Clark said, before he shot off, heading for the farm knowing the others would have returned there once it was clear he would not be back anytime soon.

Raya smiled before quickly following him, making sure to keep him in view. She was truly amazed to have been rescued from the zone. She had given up hope a long time ago of that happening and yet here she was on Earth, alongside the son of her mentor and now she knew why she had trusted him when they met, as well as the fact that she had felt a strong pull towards him when they had locked eyes.

They were some of the last of the Kryptonian people and it had long since been engineered into their DNA that should they ever face annihilation, that those who survived would do anything to keep their species alive and that included compulsory mating. Their people had been masters of genetic science and had come up with ways to ensure that in such an event the survivors would feel compelled to mate, to ensure their people lived on, no matter the circumstances.

She did not know if Kal-El was aware of this, but she would have to explain it, especially if he already had a mate on this world. She did not want to cause him any trouble due to what their people had done years ago to ensure their race survived.

+++

(Kent Farm)

Everyone looked up as the door opened and Clark stepped inside, dressed in some very dirty rags as well as being covered in muck. Lana shot out of her seat and into his arms not even caring about the state of him. As she opened her eyes and looked behind Clark she noted the young woman, who had entered behind him and was dressed much the same way. Lana smiled at her, pleased that Clark had managed to rescue Raya.

"Clark, thank god you made it," Jonathan said, feeling very relieved to see his son had returned and joined Lana and Martha in hugging him, also joined a second later by Chloe.

"I told you I would," Clark responded. "Everyone I would like you to meet Raya," he added, as he turned and introduced his companion. "She was my father's assistant before Krypton exploded," he added.

"I am pleased to meet all of you," Raya said in greeting. "I remember listening to Jor-El's tales of his time on Earth, as well as meeting your father Jonathan Kent," she continued. "He was convinced you would be able to raise Kal-El to be someone he could be proud of. Lara herself visited to see for herself what kind of place her son would grow up in and she returned feeling her husband had made the correct choice as she said she felt the house was filled with such a loving atmosphere," she stated.

Martha and Jonathan looked at each other not exactly sure what to say in response to this, so they just smiled and thanked her. Lana hugged Clark again so very pleased to have him back.

"We need to shower and get some decent clothes on. Mom can you show Raya to the bathroom and allow her to borrow some of your clothes for now?" Clark said, finally letting go of Lana.

"Of course, please follow me," Martha said and led Raya up the stairs.

"Well done son," Jonathan said, slapping Clark on the back with a smile. "We were getting a little worried," he admitted.

"I'm sorry dad, but we had to be very careful otherwise we may have attracted Zod or half a dozen other prisoners and then we would have never gotten out of there," Clark said. "I feel so much better being back. I hate that place," he said with a sigh, as he leaned against the wall and pulled Lana to him.

"How many times have you been there Clark?" Chloe inquired, smiling a little at how easily Lana folded herself against Clark, whilst ignoring the slight pain that she would never have a chance with her best friend.

"A total of four times, according to the memories I have," Clark answered. "Anyway I need to shower, then we'll head back to the fortress to see if Jor-El has come up with any new ideas to free Kara, as well as to make sure that no zoners escaped," he told them, as he reluctantly pulled away from Lana and headed for the stairs himself. "We then can fill Raya in on everything that has happened in the last couple of days.

+++

(Luthor Mansion)

Lex shook his head, as he placed the phone back on its hook. The doctors still could not tell him how his father had fallen into a coma, if there was another group out to collect the stones they must be highly connected and have access to some top of the line supplies to have got in this place without being seen by anything at all. The cameras had not even seen anything before going off line. He shook his head again. He was frustrated by this and then he headed to his car to drive to the Kent's, so that he could talk to Clark and Lana. He knew if his father was correct and Lana was back with Clark, that she was most likely at the farm, so he could talk to them both at the same time.

+++

(Kent Farm)

Clark began to relax after his shower, feeling much better now that one of the hardest tasks had been completed and hopefully, if he was lucky, he would never have to deal with that place again. He put his new t-shirt back on and joined the others back in the kitchen. Raya was sitting between Lana and Chloe, listening to them tell her about some of Clark's adventures, dealing with meteor infected people.

That stopped when they heard the rumble of a very powerful car come into their drive way, as soon as Clark heard it he began to growl, as he felt an almost overwhelming hate and anger fill him as he realized who had just arrived. He closed his eyes and tried to force it back down, but it did no good. The memories of what Lex would do in the future were just too strong and he began to head for the door, intent on making sure he never got a chance to do some of his more evil crimes.

Jonathan had been watching his son loose more and more of his control and he quickly intercepted him and with some help from Raya and Chloe managed to drag him out of the kitchen and back up the stairs into his room.

"Son, get a hold of yourself," Jonathan told him, keeping Clark pinned against the wall. "Remember what I told you before. Those things you remember have not happened yet. This Lex is not the one you now remember," he added.

Raya was a little concerned to see Kal-El loose his control so suddenly and wondered what exactly Jonathan Kent meant when he tried to advise his son. Whoever this Lex person was had obviously had a big impact on Kal-El's life and she was guessing it was not a good one, as well as being part of the story he had promised to tell her, once they were safe.

+++

Downstairs Lana and Martha barely had time to react, as Lex knocked on the door, asking if he could talk to Clark and Lana.

"Clark isn't here Lex," Martha responded. "He said he had a few things he needed to do, before Lana arrived," she added.

"And I just got here," Lana added, wondering how Clark was doing in regaining his temper, never before had she seen Clark in such a rage and it made her wonder what he had not told her about the future, concerning the man in front of them.

"Oh well, I really wanted to talk to you both. There are some new developments concerning the stones. I think you both maybe in danger," Lex replied, a little annoyed that it would seem his father had been right about Lana and Clark getting back together. "Can we meet up later when you've done whatever it is you two have planned?" he asked. "It's important Lana," he added.

"I'll make sure I tell Clark when he gets back," Lana promised. "I think we maybe be finished by one," she went on. "We'll pop over to the mansion when we're ready," she stated.

"Okay," Lex nodded in agreement. "I'll see you later," he said before he turned and left.

Lana and Martha waited until they heard Lex race out of the drive, before running up the stairs and into Clark's bedroom, to see Clark on the floor holding his head in his hands, trying to calm himself down. Lana quickly rushed over and pulled him into her arms.

"Is he going to be okay?" Chloe asked.

"He will be, just give him time," Lana said. "You better fill Raya in on what we know so far. He is in no state to go to the fortress right now," she added.

Raya watched as Lana cared for Kal-El and she guessed she was his chosen mate. She seemed very strong and also seemed to share a deep connection with him and she was sure if anyone could help Kal-El regain control, that it was she. She allowed herself to be led out of the room and into one of the other bedrooms and then sat down and listened as Jonathan Kent began to fill her in on what had been happening.  
7\. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

+++

(Luthor Mansion)

Lex walked into his mansion, still annoyed by seeing with his own eyes that Lana and Clark were back together. He could see it in Lana's eyes and the way she was so welcomed by Martha Kent.

He walked over to his drink stand and began to pour himself some whiskey, when he heard the doors behind him open and he quickly spun and stared almost in shock, as his father walked in, looking for the all the world like nothing had happened to him. He watched as his father smiled at him in greeting, before pouring himself his own drink.

"Something wrong Lex?" he inquired, after downing his drink.

"Dad, what happened to you?" he asked. "You've been in a coma for the last day and a half," he added.

"I only remember feeling a spasm of pain in my back before passing out," Lionel replied. "Has it really been a day and a half son?" he inquired, looking a little off balanced at this.

"The cameras and alarms were all disabled dad, which is how they got in whoever they were, but I suspect they were after the stones," Lex responded, after a few minutes and downed his own drink. "They may be trying to get rid of anyone else who has an interest in them," he continued.

"Then again it could be the Teague's," Lionel shot back. "Remember son, they are not to be trusted, especially Genevieve Teague, she is ruthless," he warned him.

"I know, but considering how Jason looked when I told him about you, I doubt it was them," Lex responded. "No, someone else is out there looking for them and they are not above killing us to get them. I went to see Clark and Lana to warn them, but Clark wasn't there, however they are supposed to be coming over to see me later," he told his father, after pouring himself another drink and moved to sit at his desk.

"Then we better keep our eyes open Lex, just in case they strike again," Lionel advised his son, before he turned and began to leave. "Now if you will excuse me son, I have some business to take care of," he added before walking out.

Lex leaned back in his seat and shook his head, somewhat not too surprised that his father had recovered, as he was not that easy to get rid of. He sighed, wondering who else was out there after the stones and when they would show themselves. He downed his drink and began to look over the latest reports from his doctors.

+++

Outside the mansion Jor-El smiled, pleased that he had been able to play the part of Lionel Luthor to the point where even his son was fooled. He was still in the process of turning this vessel into his oracle, but he had decided he could use it to help his son and his friends more than having them continually visit the fortress and risk been discovered by Lex or the Teague's using the caves.

+++

(Kent Farm)

Raya was shocked by what she had been told by Jonathan Kent, she knew it was possible to send such things through time, as her race had long discovered how to bend time even to the point of changing it. She knew that within the fortress was a time crystal, kept for emergency uses, as well as a time portal, so she was not skeptical of the tale.

Still it did at least explain why Kal-El had lost his control so quickly. He has been overwhelmed by the memories of his future self, which was dangerous. She was sure Lana would be able to help him refocus and put it aside for now. It was clear from the story that Kal-El still had much more to tell them, but had not got around to it at this point. They would have to be careful how they went about changing the events to come or all they may do is make things worse.

+++

In the next room Clark laid against Lana, still trying to stem the raging emotions within him. Flashes of what Lex would do, continued to plague him and each one made him feel sick. He began to focus on Lana's presence and slowly he felt himself begin to calm down. He leaned his head against hers and listened to her comforting words, as she tried to help him calm down.

He remembered feeling something like this when he had seen Lana marry Lex in the future and he had gone out to find a fight and ended up facing off against Titan. One of the prisoners who escaped the zone in the future, this time the rage was worse, as was the fact that he had no one who he could take his anger out on. It was difficult to see where he ended and his future self began, but he had to find something to separate them, so he could function better, without losing his control again. He would be no good to anyone this way, so he decided to have a talk with Jor-El about it later on, once he went back to the fortress on his own.

"Clark, what is it Lex will do, that makes you feel such rage?" Lana inquired softly.

Clark did not answer, instead he took her hands and led her into the room where the others were and sat down next to Raya, pulling Lana down next to him.

"It's not just one thing Lex will do Lana. It's the many things he will do in the future that throw up such a storm inside me," Clark said, making it clear to the others what this conversation was about. "I keep getting flashes of them and each one evokes a strong reaction," he added.

"That is to be expected Kal-El," Raya told him. "Our people experimented with this kind of time manipulation a long time ago and in each case the person involved found it difficult to separate himself from the memories of their future selves. I do not remember the specifics of how this was done in the past, but I do remember that one of the ways they tried to control the flow of memories was meditation," she explained.

"Clark, can you control yourself in front of Lex?" Martha asked her son, still concerned about seeing her son in such a state.

"No, I can't, but Kal can," Clark responded. "He will help us now, because our mission is the same," he added, as his parents went to object to that idea."It's the only way I can be in the same room as Lex and not do anything," he told them.

"Clark, what did he do?" Lana asked.

"That is a loaded question Lana Lang," a new voice interrupted them and they all looked up in surprise to see Lionel standing outside the door, however he seemed different and next to him was a tall black skinned man who's eyes flashed red.

"Hello father, J'onn," Clark said, not surprised to see Jor-El using Lionel to converse with them or that he was with the Martian Manhunter.

"My son," Jor-El responded. "Raya it is pleasing to see you outside the zone once more," he added.

"Thank you Jor-El," Raya responded. "J'onn, I am glad you will be helping us in our struggle," she said turning to the Martian.

"Clark, are we sure that is Jor-El and not just Lionel acting?" Jonathan asked, a little of the hate he felt for both men coming through.

"It's him dad, believe me," Clark responded. "J'onn would be nowhere near him, if it was not Jor-El," he explained.

"So what were you saying Jor-El?" Lana inquired, a little intimidated by the presence of Clark's real father.

"The question you asked Kal-El has no easy answer Lana Lang. Lex Luthor had perpetrated many evil acts. Having seen the memories of Kal-El's future self, I think the most soul destroying for him was losing you to him next year," Jor-El answered, as he sat down whilst J'onn leaned against the door.

"What happened?" Lana asked, very confused on how such a thing could happen here or in the future.

After a nod from Clark, Jor-El responded, "It started with Kal-El giving up his powers to safe guard you. He became effectively human and so he restarted your relationship," he began to explain. "Things went well for the first three months, bar you having to fend off certain meteor infected people, who had been sent by Luthor to test Kal-El. Each time you and the Kent's were put in danger, as was Chloe Sullivan, who helped him pass these tests," he continued.

"However a situation arrived that could not be solved without Kal-El's gifts, but he still tried and was shot and killed during the attempt. I, using this vessel, took him to the fortress and revived him, along with his abilities, however there was a very heavy price that came with his resurrection," here Jor-El paused, whilst Clark buried his face in his hands, as the memories of those events came back to him.

"What was the price?" Chloe inquired, glancing at Clark and noted with concern that he had began to shake, only for both, Lana and Raya, to place a comforting hand on his back trying to sooth him.

"A life of one of his loved ones had to be exchanged. This was not something that could be avoided, as there is a balance within all things and it must be kept, so by reviving Kal-El I upset that balance," Jor-El answered.

"And so someone, most likely one of us, had to die to balance things again, correct?" Chloe asked, horrified by this, because she knew how Clark must have responded to this when he found out.

"Sadly yes, Kal-El was not pleased, when he found this out, but as I said it could not be avoided," Jor-El answered. "The return of his powers however strained his relationship with Lana Lang greatly, as he retreated into himself, as well as cutting of their physical relationship, out of fear of hurting her," he began to explain again. "It came to a point where Kal-El had to make a choice between telling Lana the truth or losing her completely," he stated.

Lana colored slightly, when Jor-El mentioned her and Clark having a physical relationship, but quickly put it aside and focused on what they were being told. "What did he do?" she asked, even as she felt Clark relax somewhat under her hand.

"He decided to tell you everything and brought you to the fortress as proof, before he explained all of it to you and then ended it by asking you to marry him," Jor-El answered with a small smile, noting the wide eyed stares this caused. Not only from Lana, but the others in the room as well, bar Raya, Clark and J'onn. "He gave you time to think things through and then you came back here and told him the answer was yes. I never have seen my son so happy, as he was for those few hours you were his fiancée," he added, before he frowned as he recalled what happened next.

"What happened next?" Lana asked, feeling her heart beat wildly at the idea of being engaged to Clark. A dream she had more than once in the past four years, even when she had been with Whitney, Adam and Jason.

"Sadly, when you went to see Luthor to comfort him, because he had lost the election rally to Jonathan Kent, he noticed the engagement ring and realized you had all the answers he had searched for and began to demand that you would tell him. He chased you out of the mansion and down route forty, straight into an oncoming bus. You were killed in the crash and Kal-El for one of the few times in his life was too late to save you," Jor-El informed them.

Lana shook her head almost unable to believe that she could accomplish her dream only to have it taken away by the actions of Lex Luthor. She felt a burning anger light within her at learning this, but she quickly decided to ignore it, as she felt Clark begin to heave as if he was trying desperately to control his emotions. She and Raya both stepped up their attempts to keep him calm, neither bothered by the actions of the other as their only concern was Clark.

"Go on Jor-El," Jonathan said, hating to see his son in such emotional turmoil, yet knowing only Lana and maybe Raya could help him right now, whilst trying not to let what he was learning to influence his actions right now. Which was very hard, as all he wanted to do was rip Lex to bits.

"Kal-El became emotionally unstable in response to loosing Lana and he came to the fortress to demand I reverse it. I told him I could not, because although our powers here are strong we are not gods," Jor-El went on, after a few seconds. "He persisted and so I told him of the time crystal which would allow him to go back in time to try and reverse what he had done. I gave him a stark warning that fate would find a way to correct the balance, even with his intervention," he explained.

"Kal-El nodded and took the crystal not really realizing what he had done in his pain. After seeing his worst fear come true in Lana dying, due to knowing his secret, he decided not to tell her this time and the strain on their relationship deepened, whilst Luthor acted the concerned friend throughout it all," he continued.

Lana closed her eyes at this, although she was not too surprised by Clark's future-selves' choice, after seeing her die, due to knowing the truth about him. She was sure there could have been other choices he could have made, which would have helped her understand the truth, as well as keep her away from Lex. Now they could avoid it all, if they were lucky.

"Although Kal-El managed to save you and the one called Lois Lane he was unable to stop Jonathan Kent from meeting in secret with Lionel Luthor, which caused him to have a fatal heart attack," Jor-El explained.

"Are you saying Clark traded his father's life for mine?" Lana asked, opening her eyes shocked at this.

"No, remember the life that was been balanced was Kal-El's own," Jor-El gently reminded them, as Martha cried and hugged her husband, trying to reject the idea of her husband dying. Jonathan just hugged her and tried to keep her calm.

"I can repair the damage to Jonathan Kent with Raya's help, so he will not have to worry about such a thing happening," Jor-El offered, hoping to calm down the emotional upheaval his tale had produced.

"Lana I would rather my life was exchanged for yours or Clark's believe me. Had I been given a choice I am sure I would have made sure it was me," Jonathan said, hoping to comfort the girl who was clearly upset at this. Yet knowing he was speaking the truth, that if it came down to a choice he would rather sacrifice himself, than either one of them as he had lived a very good life. One filled with a loving wife and a son he was proud of.

Clark listened as the story of one of his worst failures was told, whilst trying to block out the memories that went with the tale. The memory of Lana's broken body and his father's fatal heart attack was almost too much. He took a deep breath whilst trying to stem the guilt and anger that the memories produced. He felt both Lana and Raya rub his back and whispering comforting words to him. They were all that was keeping him in control, whilst this tale was told.

"Luthor finally sent another meteor infected woman after you. She had the power to control whoever she wanted, which included Kal-El. Whilst it was discovered why he had been kissing this woman, Kal-El decided to use it as a means of killing your relationship. Feeling that if you were not together, Luthor would lose interest in you and focus sourly on him," Jor-El continued. "His plan worked and your relationship ended in pain, but Luthor did not lose interest, as he desired you fully, both because he lusted for you and because Kal-El had once had you. He is truly a disturbed person," he added.

The others all nodded in agreement with this assessment of the man, except Clark who just stared at the floor. Jor-El knew that telling some of what was to come was going to be especially hard on his son, but he knew it had to be done as did Kal-El.

"Part of the strain on your relationship also came for your search for answers about the second meteor shower and the black ship that came with it. Whilst Kal-El was trying to hide things connected to it, as well as remove the danger it and Brainiac represented. You Lana, teamed up with Lex to find where it had come from and what it was doing on Earth," Jor-El restarted his tale, as Martha finally regained her control and tried to dry her face.

"It put you in danger a few times and each time Kal-El saved you, however as you did not know this Lex took the credit and you began to believe he was truly a good person, who wanted what was best for you. That just hurt Kal-El all the more," he added.

Lana did not know how to feel about this part, but she vowed she would never trust Lex Luthor again for as long as she lived. She looked over and noticed Raya was watching Clark, who seemed to be finally getting some of his control back, as he was now looking at Jor-El. She could still see the pain in his eyes and she hated to see it.

"After your relationship with Kal-El ended, you grew more and more close to Luthor as you tried to uncover the truth of the black ship and Milton Fine origins. He tricked Luthor into making a virus, which he then injected into Luthor," Jor-El began again. "A few days later Luthor was abducted by the black ship, right in front of you and all you could get out of Fine was that Luthor was being prepared," he continued. "Kal-El came to try and talk with you twice during this time, but because he would not share what he knew with you or how he knew that Luthor would come back different your contempt for him grew and you parted ways badly. During the coming conflict Kal-El refused to kill Luthor, who was now the vessel of Zod and was sent into the Phantom Zone, whilst you Lana went to Lex's side, as the world began to destroy itself," he stated.

"That is how you knew of me?" Raya asked. "When you were banished into the zone, we met," she stated, looking at Clark who nodded and finally spoke.

"You saved me from three phantoms, before taking me to your tent for first aid. When you learned who I was you helped me escape, but it was at the cost of your life. We were ambushed by Zod's followers, who I had banished there the year previously. I activated the portal and it sent me, you and a couple of other zoners to Earth," he told her. "You survived long enough to reach Earth, where the sun could heal you. You then tracked me down and began to teach me. You were angry by my failure, which led to the fortress being damaged and I was annoyed that I had made such a stupid mistake again," he added. "It's just I've never taken a life by choice, only by accident and I had the crazy idea I could stop everything if I destroyed Brainiac, but I was just playing into his hands," he explained.

"Do not be too harsh on him Raya. He was not raised in a Kryptonian manor and is also not a soldier. His life here has not been without conflict, but he has little experience with the nightmare of such people like Zod and his emotions have proved to be his greatest weakness, as well as his greatest strength," Jor-El advised, when he noticed Raya frown, but she nodded after he spoke.

"Sadly we only had a few days together, before one of the escaped phantoms came after us. He was called Baern and he could drain nuclear power to power himself," Clark said and noticed the flash of hate in Raya's eyes, when he said the name.

"He attacked us at the farm, but thanks to you he was repulsed. He needed to recharge and so he went after what was left of the control center of the black ship, which Lex still had. We learned of it thanks to Chloe and her new friend Jimmy," he continued.

"I tried to get Lana to tell me where it was, but because I again refused to answer her, she only told me it was to late and the box was gone. Baern had absorbed the energy inside it and then went to the fortress to confront us," here Clark paused, hating to see the image of Raya dying for the second time.

He forced it away and continued. "He attacked again and this time he was stronger than ever. You sacrificed yourself for me again and I managed to rip the phantom out of the body."

"I tried to help you, but it was too late and you died, but thanks to your crystal, now storing the energy Baern had absorbed, I was able to re-power the fortress. Your sacrifice was not without purpose Raya," he told her with a small smile. "I owed you too much to leave you in the zone and I was willing to pay the price to come and get you now," he finished.

Raya stared at Kal-El a little conflicted, because it seemed Kal-El had a habit of making bad choices, however it was clear he was capable of making up for these actions and dealing with the situation. Learning she had died twice for him was not too surprising, as for most of her life she had served the house of El and he was the last son of Krypton, he had to be protected.

This experience had clearly changed him and made him more aware of the consequences of his actions and that he had to think more before choosing a course of action in the future. She was a little surprised by how much her death seemed to affect Kal-El, considering they had only know each other for a short time in the future. It felt nice that he had cared for her and raised her opinion of him.

"Kal-El may have made a mistake in refusing to destroy Luthor, but he still defeated Zod and then hunted down and removed the other escaped prisoners, with some help from J'onn. He proved he was cable of dealing with the consequences of his actions," Jor-El stated, quite proud of the way he had seen his son deal with the ‘Zoners' within the memories of his future self. "These events strengthened the bond between Luthor and Lana, who began to believe he was working to protect mankind from alien threats, when all he was doing was trying to increase his own power base. Luthor then began drugging her with synthetic hormones to make her believe she was pregnant, as a way of keeping her with him," he added.

"If I was already with him, why would he need to do that? Lana inquired, feeling sick as she learned more.

"Luthor likes total control over people, as well as he enjoys toying with people's emotions. You were no different in this," Jor-El answered. "As your anger for Kal-El died down, your love for him resurfaced and you both began to find your way back to each other. Luthor wanted to stop it," he added. "Kal-El's continuing rescues of you in dangerous situations, did not help matters and so Luthor decided to make you emotional vulnerable by stopping the drugs, which resulted in you believing that you had miscarried your baby, which devastated you. However a few months later you learned the truth of Luthor's deception and it broke any lingering attachment you felt for him," he went on. "On the day of your wedding you managed to plan a small series of events, which let you finally discover Kal-El's secret. You also could no longer fool yourself into believing you did not still love him and so when he came to you, you told him you were breaking it off with Luthor," he paused here, as he wondered how they would take what happened next.  
8\. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Did I manage to do it?" Lana asked, hoping her future self was able to get out from under Lex.

"Not at that time, as Lionel Luthor decided that in order to protect Kal-El, he needed you close to his son and so he used a threat against Kal-El, to force you to go through with the marriage. Only later he did tell you why he did it. Together you were able to learn of some of Lex's more dangerous experiments, which helped save lives, including the life of Lois Lane," Jo-El answered.

"Eventually however you decided to get out completely from both Luthor's and so you faked your death, using a clone Luthor had created of you, to frame him of the murder, whilst you fled to China," he explained, quite impressed by her efforts in the future, even as he knew his son would rather it had never happened.

"The plan worked to a point, but sadly Luthor remained out of prison. You returned to Smallville after a divorce and restarted your relationship with Kal-El once more, however the actions of Brainiac, who returned to harass you and the phantom known as Bizarro, created many problems for you, however that is another story for a later time," he finally finished.

Lana sighed, wondering how it was possible for any of it to have happened, how could she have been so blind, as to allow Lex to get so close to her? She knew that her anger at Clark for keeping his secrets may have been part of it, but she did not believe she could ever be as cold or as hateful to him as Jor-El had implied, at least she hoped not.

She looked at Clark and noted that he looked tired, but he seemed better than he had been, now that everyone knew this part of the story. She shared a look with Raya and noted that she also did not believe that this was the end of the pain Kal-El's future self had endured and they would have to be watchful in the future.

"Sounds like Lex is going to be an even bigger problem that we thought," Chloe finally spoke up, pushing aside the pain she felt for her friends' constant struggle to be together.

"Yes he will Chloe and you will truly come to hate him, but I'll explain that at another time. We have things to do," Clark said, deciding enough time had been wasted in talking and some action was needed now.

"Jor-El, I want you and Raya to take my parents to the fortress. Do what you said you can do to repair the damage to his heart. Lana, Chloe and J'onn you're with me," he stated, as he stood up, pushing aside the pain, guilt and anger he still felt for now.

Jor-El nodded again. Pleased to see his son pushed aside his emotions and focused on the problem at hand. He indicated for the Kent's to follow him and they did so after hugging both Clark and Lana.

Raya hesitated for a moment, not really wanting to leave Kal-El's side, but he quickly smiled at her in understanding and gave her a look, which promised they would talk alone later on. She nodded and followed her mentor's vessel.

"What is it we will be doing, Kal-El?" J'onn finally spoke, having stayed quite throughout the whole story, having already been filled in on all of what Jor-El had learned from the memories, he had extracted from Kal-El of the future to come.

"We need to find out which labs Lex will conduct his experiments in, are active right now. Lana I want you and Chloe to use the computers to pull down blueprints and information on all the addresses I give you, whilst J'onn and I will scout them out and see if they are active," Clark replied, using his super speed to write out four lists of the buildings he knew would one day contain section 33.1 labs. "Once we have our list, we can then plan how to strike them and shut them down, once I have recruited some of the other Justice League members," he stated, handing two of the lists to Lana and Chloe whilst handing one of the others to J'onn, along with a pen. "We won't be making any contact J'onn, get in see if the lab is active and get out and mark down on the list if the lab is active, okay?" he asked his Martian friend.

"Understood Kal-El," J'onn responded, knowing this was important after listening to how bad things would get in the future from Jor-El. He knew they had to move slowly, so that they did not tip off their enemy.

"Clark, what do we do about our meeting with Lex?" Lana asked, pleased that Clark had given her something to do to help.

"We have three hours before we are due to meet with him, so we have time Lana. Don't worry I'll be back for that. Now let's get going," Clark answered with a smile, before swooping down and kissing Lana before he turned and left with J'onn, hoping some action would distract him from the memories of his future self.

Lana smiled at the feelings Clark's kiss gave her and she swore she would not allow anyone to come between them again, although she suspected she would have to make an allowance for Raya. She could see the attraction the two felt for each other in their eyes, as well as what she suspected Isobel's advice last night truly meant. If that came to be, she actually was surprised to find she felt no hostility towards Raya, which was slightly confusing before shook it off and followed Chloe.

(Luthor Mansion)

Lex looked up as someone entered, only to frown when he noticed it was Jason. Taking his father's advice to heart, he decided not to take the young man lightly. He watched as Jason made himself a drink before he sat down in front of him

"My lead in China gave me a bit more. The guy who took the stone was dressed exactly like Kent dresses, jeans, blue t-shirt and a red jacket," Jason informed him, frowning still hating the fact that he had lost Lana to the farm boy, whilst trying to think of a way to get her back.

"Really?" Lex said leaning back in his chair. "It does indeed sound like Clark, but how could he have gotten to China so fast?" he mused "I went over to see him and Lana today, but he wasn't there. According to Lana they had plans that will keep them busy until one and then they are supposed to meet me here," he told the younger man. "Mrs. Kent said he wasn't there because he had some things he had to do, before he met up with Lana for the day," he added, smirking inwardly at the distaste he could see on Jason's face at the mention of Lana and Clark spending time together.

"Maybe he's on his way back from China right now and won't be back until one," Jason suggested. "Maybe we should see if he is on any plane coming back from China, just in case," he pressed, hoping to get something on Kent before drinking some of his whiskey.

"I guess it's possible," Lex said, knowing his mysterious friend was capable of a lot, but he still did not see how he could have gotten to China so fast, seen as he had seen him only the day before. "I'll look into it anyway, just to be sure," he added, deciding it couldn't hurt. "Anything else?" he asked, looking back at the report he had been reading from his newest lab.

"My mother suspects your father has one of the stones," Jason said, surprising Lex once again. "He stole it from Virgil Swan's assistant, who is now dead," he added.

This piece of news perked Lex's interest and he narrowed his eyes at the idea that his father had been playing him once again. Was it possible that it was that why he had been attacked? It would also explain his rather calm response to learning he had been in a coma for a day and a half, not wanting to let on that there was more to the attack than there seemed.

If his father had one of the stones or used to have one, the question became why had he not gone in search of the other two? Was he just waiting for him, the Teague's or Clark and Lana to find them, so he could steal them later? If whoever had attacked his father now had the stone, it became all the more important to find out who they were and where they were hiding and decided to see what Clark and Lana's reaction to this news would be. Maybe it would give him a clue to what they were truly up to.

He summoned one of his aides and gave him orders to search all incoming planes from China for Clark Kent. If his friend was lying to him about his interest or lack there off in the stones, he would find out one way or the other.

He needed to step up his own search for the stones as well instead of sitting here. Suddenly he stopped and went over what had happened at the beginning of the year, when he had found one of the stones, only for his plane to be attacked on its way back to Smallville by something or someone that had intercepted him in the air and somehow summoned the stone to them. He wondered if they and the ones who had attacked his father were connected somehow.

"I guess I'll be having a long chat with my father when he gets back from whatever business he went to deal with, as he woke up earlier this morning," Lex informed Jason, who looked surprised by this.

"Did he give you any clues as to who had attacked him?" Jason asked, knowing his mother would want to know about this and any information he could gather on this new threat that stood in their way of getting hold of the stones.

"No, all he said was he felt a spasm up his spine," Lex responded, watching Jason closely in case he gave away anything in his facial expression, but could see nothing that indicated he knew more than he stated.

"This is getting very complicated with this new threat Lex. Lana may be in more danger than she knows," Jason suddenly having an idea, which could separate her from Clark. "Maybe if you press this, you can convince her to come and stay in the mansion, where she would be much safer," he suggested.

Lex suddenly began to smile, liking this suggestion because not only would it get Lana away from Clark's influence, it would also give him a chance to get closer to her and let him undermine her trust in Clark. No matter where his friendship with Clark stood, he wanted Lana for himself and he was determined to get her.

"A good idea I think. I'll suggest it later on, when she comes and sees me. I'll let you know how it goes," Lex finally responded. "I am sure she will accept, because she knows this place is well protected," he added, forgetting for a while that his own father had been attacked within its walls, as he mind strayed into fantasy.

Jason nodded before finishing his drink and leaving the mansion. He felt unsettled with Lana being close to Lex the same as he was when she was with Kent, but he thought he could manipulate Lex to do what he want, before he decided to report to his mother what he had learned.

+++

(Fortress of Solitude)

Raya felt a sense of peace fill her, as she arrived in the last safe Heaven of her people. The fortress of knowledge was one of the principles of Kryptonian technology and seeing it, made her feel like she was home. She was pleased to see Kal-El had managed to find all three stones of power and raise the structure he would need, so he could undergo his training. It showed that even though he was reluctant or at least had been to embrace his destiny, he was trying to do what was best for the future.

She watched as Jor-El explained how he would repair the damage Jonathan Kent had sustained, whilst being in possession of the powers of a Kryptonian. She knew humans were not supposed to have such powers, as their bodies were not able to survive the strain for long.

Jor-El would have to make some alterations to his vessel so it could survive longer with the powers it now had access to. She knew, from Jor-El's tale, that Brainiac had prepared Luthor before he became a vessel for Zod in the future, so he could survive having the powers of a Kryptonian.

Thinking of what she had learned so far of what was to come, darkened her mood. Luthor was clearly a dangerous person and a suitable host for Zod, which is why he would be chosen as a host.

Kal-El and his allies had many challenges to face and she was committed to help them as much as she could, even as she wondered if it was possible she and Kal-El could get closer than just friends and forced mates.

Considering the looks he sometimes gave, she believed it was possible. He felt more for her than she at first believed. The changes made to their DNA made it possible for their race to survive by making them attracted to other Kryptonian's, but it also made them care for them, which could lead them to actually develop feelings for one another.

Only two things stood in her way. How Lana would respond, once she learned of the growing pull she and Kal-El felt towards each other and the second one she did not know Kal-El that well just yet. Shaking her head she quickly began to assist Jor-El, as he prepared Jonathan Kent for surgery, she had plenty of time later to think about this.

+++

(Just outside Smallville)

Clark looked at what appeared from outside an abandoned building, but from his memories of his future self, he knew would one day become a lab for 33.1. He saw flashes of himself, Bart, Oliver, Victor and Arthur taking this place down.

That was the birth of the Justice League and their war of Lex's attempts at power. He should have helped them more, but he was distracted by tracking down escaped zoners and trying to save Lana from her choice of being Lex's girlfriend.

He shook his head, knowing he had no time for guilt now. None of that had happened yet and if he was lucky would never happen. Now he just had to continue making the right choices. He could no longer act on just his feelings or his gut instincts. He had to be logical and plan accordingly to the situation, if they were to have any chance of stopping the war that was to come.

As he used his ability of flight to fly up to the top of the building, his thoughts strayed to Raya and for a minute he paused as he felt the same pull he had been feeling ever since the memories of his future self arrived inside his mind. The pull had only grown stronger since he had met Raya in person. He would have to talk to her soon and then he would have to talk to Lana and Jor-El. He suspected what was happening to him and he needed to make sure it did not cause any problems, especially between him and Lana. He sighed, before going back to his attempts to find out, if this building was already a lab for 33.1. Having already discovered two others, whilst he knew J'onn had found three more after they had met briefly to compare notes and he knew he would have to start recruiting the people who would become the Justice League soon.

+++

(Smallville High)

Lana and Chloe worked side by side, downloading all the information they could find on the addresses Clark had given them, as well as any blueprints they could find. Both knew Clark was slowly working himself up to taking action against Lex and both were concerned how all of this would turn out in the end, but they knew Lex had to be stopped before he brought the war, Clark's future self had seen, down on them.

"Things are going to get bad aren't they?" Chloe suddenly asked, facing her friend and tried not to allow herself to be overwhelmed by her fear of what was to come.

"Yes they are Chloe, but we have a big chance to change it all for the better," Lana said, stopping to face her friend with a small smile. "Think about what we have just learned about the future. It hurt a lot to hear how things could turn out, but I know Clark will do everything he can to stop it from coming true this time, as will I," she added with determination. "Mr. Kent is been fixed up, so he won't suffer that heart attack and we will soon have more allies to help us. We need to have faith in ourselves, as well as each other that we can do this," she advised, watching her friend calm down a little.

"You're right Lana," Chloe admitted. "Any idea what you're going to do about Raya's growing closeness to Clark?" she inquired.

"I won't get in the way of them trying to keep their race alive Chloe, but I will not give up Clark either. I think, I might have to share him with her, if what Isobel told me was anything to go off," Lana replied, after thinking it over.

"Doesn't that bother you?" Chloe asked, surprised by Lana's lack of anger at this.

"Less than it would have before all of this happened, Chloe," Lana told her. "I don't know why, but somehow it does not make me as angry as it would have before. Maybe Isobel is helping me to understand that it's necessary or maybe it's just me, that I am willing to do anything to keep Clark this time," she explained.

Chloe stayed quite this time, knowing she herself could never share her lover with another woman, no matter the circumstances, but she was happy to see Lana was determined to make things work with Clark this time, no matter what.

+++

(Fortress of Solitude)

Martha looked up, as Raya sat next to her after two hours of waiting: she was very worried about how things were turning out and even more after hearing what could happen in the future, not only to her son and Lana, but to her husband as well. She was relieved it seemed Jor-El was trying to undo some of the damage his past actions had brought about and it seemed he truly meant that they were no longer at cross purposes and were all now working for the same thing.

"Is it over?" she asked the woman, who she suspected could become quite close to her son in the future, if what she had seen and sensed was correct.

"Yes Martha Kent it is," Raya said with a smile. "Your husband is recovering, as is Lionel Luthor's body," she added. "They should be able to move in another hour or so, our techniques in this area far outclass yours," she said at the look on the other woman's face.

"Why did you have to operate on Lionel's body?" Martha inquired.

"So it does not suffer the same damage as your husband did, when it had the powers of my people. Humans were never meant to have such power," Raya explained. "The strain is to much on your bodies, but they can be altered, so they can handle the stress longer, which is most likely how in the future Lex Luthor was able to survive being the vessel of Zod and suffer no ill effects," she continued.

"I see, well I am just glad Jonathan is going to be okay," Martha said. "I do not want to see what happened in the future. I could see the toll it took on Clark and the more things we avert the better things will get, especially for him," she stated with a small hopeful smile.

"Indeed Martha Kent," Raya agreed. "Kal-El needs to try and separate the guilt, anger and pain from his future memories as best as he can," she told her. "The more things he changes for better, the more I believe Kal-El will change and begin to fully master himself and become the one defender this world needs," she finished.

Martha decided not to comment on that, knowing that Clark was now determined to embrace his destiny, having seen what had happened by refusing it and whilst a part of her was proud he was taking on such responsibility another part feared where it could lead him.

+++

(Kent Farm)

Clark looked up, as Lana and Chloe returned. Each was holding a file, which he guessed contained all the stuff he had asked them to find. He smiled and kissed Lana, as he met her half way. Chloe went and sat at the table, joined a second later by J'onn, who had just returned from his last location.

"Did you manage to get everything?" Clark asked, as he went to the table and picked up the ring with the red Kryptonite, knowing he would have to use it to survive his meeting with Lex.

"Yeah, we had no problems bar two specific buildings, but we have what you asked for," Chloe responded with a smile. "So how many labs does Lex have up and running?" she asked in reply.

"Seven so far," J'onn answered, as he began to look through one of the files. "Each one holds many meteor infected people, as well as many labs designed to find out how they got their powers and also what is so special about the green meteor rocks and why they can transform people so much," he informed them.

"Sounds like it's going to be tough to shut them down," Lana mused.

"Only until we get some allies Lana. Now we better go and see Lex," Clark responded, before he slipped the ring on and felt it take effect immediately."This should be fun," Kal said, smirking at them. "Baldy won't be getting his way, no matter what he does," he promised, before he led Lana out of the house.

"That is so creepy," Chloe muttered, before she took the other file and began to look through it, hoping that Clark's darker half didn't do anything stupid that could give them away.

+++

(Luthor Mansion)

Lex was looking out of the window, wondering when Clark and Lana would show up and he was thinking of the best way to go about convincing Lana to stay at the mansion. He had to be careful how he did this or he may cause her to start disliking him, as he had when Clark had found out he had continued to investigate him.

He turned around, as he heard his doors open and Clark and Lana entered, with Clark's arm around Lana's waist and her head resting on his shoulder. He fought down the urge to frown at the look of love in their eyes.

"Lana said you wanted to tell us something Lex, something about our lives being in danger?" Kal said with a smirk, as he sat down yet made sure he kept hold of Lana's hand, which she didn't seem to mind.

"My father was attacked by some unknown intruder. He woke up after a day and a half. I think someone else is after the stones and they are targeting those others who have an interest in them," Lex responded after a few minutes. "I think Lana is especially in danger from these people considering her circumstances. I think it would be best for her safety if she would move into the mansion, where I can keep an eye on her," he told them, before being cut off by Clark.

"Lana is staying at the farm with my family Lex and believe me she is safe there," Kal said, interrupting the man. He could feel the hate and anger from Clark within him and he wanted nothing more than to punch him full power, but he knew he had to keep his cool, which was why Clark had chosen to trust him to do this. "We will keep a close eye out for any strangers. I think you should watch the Teague's more than anyone else," he added, before he and Lana stood up again and began to leave.

"Clark, you wouldn't have been anywhere near China lately, would you?" Lex asked, a little off balanced by Clark's forceful comeback.

"Why would I have any reason to go to China Lex? Another thing to think about is how the hell could I afford such a trip?" Kal said, his voice dripping with repressed anger. "Try and focus on what is actually true Lex, instead of listening to hearsay and flights of fancy," he added, before making sure to kiss Lana for a few long seconds before he and she left arm in arm with each other, whilst Lex tried to stem the anger he felt at seeing them in such a loving embrace.  
9\. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

(Kent Farm)

Kal could barely keep the grin off his face, as he entered the house. The look Lex had on his face as he kissed Lana in front of him was priceless. He sensed a little hesitation from Lana, because she now knew he was a different version of Clark's personality, but she seemed to have known why he was doing it and obviously wanted to get a shot in at Lex as well, after what she had learned so far of the future.

He noted his mother and father were back, although his father was looking a little off from his operation. He noted Jor-El in Lionel's body also looked weary and he guessed he also had undergone surgery, so that his body could take the strain of having a Kryptonians powers.

When his eyes fell on Raya, he suddenly felt the same pull Clark had been feeling since the future memories had appeared in his head, only he was feeling it ten times worse and he wondered if the red kryptonite had weakened his resolve to be able to fight it.

Before he knew what he was doing he walked over and swept her into a powerful kiss, shocking the others in the room including Raya, he pulled back and shook his head.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. Ever since Clark and I first saw you in our future memories, we've felt a pull towards you we couldn't explain, but when I saw you just now I couldn't resist kissing you and I think it maybe the red kryptonite, that weakened my resolve to fight the pull," Kal said, feeling he had to not get Clark in any trouble, now that they were working for the same goal.

"It did indeed Kal-El," Jor-El said. "Also as you are in control and are basically absent of Clark's human emotions and upbringing you did what was in your nature as one of the last few Kryptonians in existence," he explained.

"What do you mean?" Lana inquired, fighting off the surge of anger she felt at seeing Clark kiss another woman, as a) It was Kal in control and b) she had suspected something like this would happen eventually.

"Kal-El and Raya are some of the last of our people and it was long written into their DNA that should we ever face extinction certain instincts will activate, drawing them together until they mate, thus ensuring our race's continuation," Jor-El explained, noting the confused looks on some of the people's faces.

"So I was right," Chloe said with a shake of her head. "I guessed that might be the case," when she noted the Kent's looking at her. "They are an advanced race from what Clark told us, so it makes sense that they would do anything to ensure they did not die out, including altering their genetics," she explained.

"Indeed Chloe, it was one of the few plans we put forward, just before the war with Zod, in case the worst should happen," Jor-El said with a nod. "The fact that Clark has an emotional connection to Raya through the memories he gained from his future self, should make this easier for them to accept," he added.

"But what about his relationship with Lana?" Martha asked and glanced concerned at the girl she had long hoped would be her daughter in law someday.

"I knew something like this was coming Mrs. Kent, thanks to Isobel and I think she gave me the best advice on how to handle it," Lana said, after a few moments of silence. "I told Chloe I would not give up Clark, but I would be willing to share him with Raya if it came to that. I just love him that much and don't want to lose him," she added and looked to where the blond woman stood, still looking a little shocked at what had just happened.

Raya had not expected Kal-El to do such a thing, especially in front of everyone and she had not been able to stop herself from responding. Learning that he had been on red kryptonite had been a letdown, but hearing from Jor-El that Kal-El himself had an emotional connection to her lifted her spirits and gave her hope that they could pursue more than a physical relationship in the future.

Listening to Lana say she was willing to share him was a relief as she had not wanted to come between Kal-El and his chosen mate, even with the fact that neither she or Kal-El could hold out long against the pull, which she knew would grow worse as time went on. Knowing it was best to say something she quickly began. "I did not know if you were even aware of these facts of Kryptonian nature," she said. "I am relieved Jor-El explained them to all of you, including Kal-El, as I am sure he was feeling the effects of the pull," she added. "As to what Lana said I have no objections, as I do not want to come between her and Kal-El as it is clear they are deeply in love," she stated with a small smile.

Kal looked between the two women noting them exchange an understanding look and wondered how the hell he and Clark had gotten so damn lucky. He could tell Clark felt relieved to know about what was causing his desire for Raya, even as he admitted Jor-El was correct he had an emotional attachment to her that seemed to have been imprinted on him from his future self.

"I think it's time Kal for you to take that ring off," Jonathan said and shook his head as the twist and turns of his son's life continued to get more and more confusing.

"In a minute, baldy tried to get Lana to move in with him under the guise that she'd be better protected at the mansion," Kal responded with a grin. "More likely he was trying to separate Lana and me, so we would not get even closer than we already are. You should have seen the anger in his eyes when he saw us kiss," he added.

"Did you have to antagonize him?" Martha inquired with a sigh. She wondered where all of this was going to end, considering how dangerous Lex was going to turn out to be.

"He had that and much more coming to him," Kal shot back heatedly. "Remember I have access to the memories of the future as well as Clark and I know what Lex will do. You have only heard part of the story and what you have heard has been the beginning of it," he added. "The war that caused my future self to sent his memories back will show Lex's true colors and he will torture and kill hundreds and order the deaths of thousands more," he continued, his eyes showed the horror of what was to come. "He is truly evil," he stated.

Silence echoed in the room, as they all took in what Kal had told them and apart from the aliens in the group, they had a lot of trouble imagining the future they were been told about. Kal looked around. He was satisfied that he had made his point before he removed the ring knowing Clark would call on him again sometime soon.

Clark shook his head and he was actually surprised Kal had not done more to anger Lex, but it seemed even his darker half knew better than to push the man to far yet. He looked nervously between Lana and Raya and quickly went over what had been said, whilst he had been Kal and was relieved about what had been causing it, whilst he also was shocked that Lana loved him so much she was willing to share him.

"Lex believes there is a new group after the stones and it is they who attacked Lionel and most likely who intercepted his plane and stole the stone he did find at the beginning of the year," Clark said, bringing things back to the present. "I think we should do what we can to make him continue to believe this, whilst we gather our forces," he added as he sat in between Lana and Raya.

"Do you think Jason knows about this as well?" Lana asked and noted that she felt anger stir within her as she thought about the Teague family and she guessed not all of it was hers, but Isobel's as well.

"Like what happened in my future self's memories he and Lex are working together to find the stones, so yes, he most likely does," Clark answered. "I wish there would be a way to throw off their suspicions of us," he said with an annoyed sigh.

"Is there any way to duplicate the stones and make them think they've found them?" Chloe inquired, after a few minutes of thinking it through. "If they believe they have the stones they will stop looking at us and think that we are no longer important right?" she asked when the group looked at her.

"That's not a bad idea Chloe. It will almost certainly get Lex and the Teague's off our backs," Clark said with a smile at his friend. "Is that possible father?" Clark asked while turning to face Jor-EL.

"Maybe Kal-El," Jor-El said. "But it will not be easy," he added. "Kal-El maybe you should visit Dax-Ur and ask for his help," he advised. "I remember you met him in the future. He could be of great help in our cause and if he is reluctant to help, remind him that if the black ship comes to Earth so does Brainiac and then he and his family will be in mortal peril," he added.

"I forgot about him," Clark said with a shake of his head. "I've been trying to repress the memories of that year," he said with a shudder. "Still you are right. Dax-Ur is a brilliant scientist and will be able to help us a lot and I think he will help without to much prodding," he continued.

"I take it Dax-Ur is another Kryptonian who is on Earth?" Chloe inquired, very interested to learn there was another alien on Earth.

"Yeah he came here almost a hundred years ago to atone for what Brainiac did. When he learned of the suns affects on our people he was going to try and save the human race, but he gave it all up for the love of a woman," Clark explained. "Using blue kryptonite he settled down and even had a child," he added, as he allowed the memories of that meeting to finally surface.

"How did he manage that?" Lana asked, very interested in this because she very much wanted to have children with Clark in the future.

"Blue kryptonite basically makes us human Lana. It strips our powers completely and I guess make it possible for us to produce offspring with humans," Clark said while noting the interested look in Lana's eyes and guessed the reason it was there or at least he wished it was the reason.

"Wow that is amazing," Lana said. "Do you think you could get hold of some blue kryptonite, you know for the future?" she asked as confidently as she could. She had not doubts she would still be with Clark when all of this was over and done with and they were ready to start a family.

"I think so," Clark said with a smile of his own. "But that is something we can do for later, also we can use it to fool Lex and anyone else who has suspicions of us that we are just normal," he added, noting his parents exchanged amused looks at Lana's question. "Raya and I will go and visit Dax-Ur. We'll have to pick up his beacon which is buried in a time capsule in the centre of town tonight," he told the group.

"Is there anything else we need to discuss?" Martha asked, wanting to get Jonathan to bed so he could rest some more.

"Not really, I think the rest of you should go and get some rest. We will need it soon," Clark said. "Jor-El should go to the mansion and act like Lionel, so Lex does not become suspicious of him," he added a second later. "We'll be back soon," he added, bended down to kiss Lana, before he and Raya left the house, followed by Jor-El.  
10\. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Lana knew Clark had picked Raya to accompany him to visit Dax-Ur, so they could talk alone about what they had just learned about each other than that he actually needed her to find this other Kryptonian. She was quite tired and she had some questions for Isobel and so headed for Clark's room, after she mentioned to the Kent’s that Kal had told Lex she would be staying on the farm for protection, to which neither objected as they both loved Lana like a daughter.

Chloe and J'onn continued to go through the files they had on the labs, whilst Martha took Jonathan to their bedroom, so that he could rest as well after his surgery. All of them felt that things would quickly spiral out of control, once Clark had gathered his allies and was ready to strike and they all wanted to be ready for it.

+++

(Smallville)

Clark and Raya walked into the centre of town in silence and both were deep in thought. Clark was trying to repress the memories of his future self once more, whilst Raya was still trying to think of how to talk to Kal-El about their future.

"There is where the capsule is," Clark said, breaking into her thoughts and she looked at where he was indicating.

She quickly x-rayed the area and noted the mid-sized container where the beacon was. She knew it was to early for them to retrieve it, so she wondered what they would do instead.

"We need to wait until it gets dark before we try and get the beacon, so I think we should head to the fortress for a few things we're going to need and then we'll visit some of the future members of the Justice League," Clark said. "The sooner we gather some allies the better off we'll be to counter the unexpected," he added.

"You expect things to change to how your future memories show them to be?" Raya inquired, as they turned and began to head out of town.

"I do, my future self knew that once I began to change things the less reliant I had to be on them," Clark responded. "Also it never pays to believe things will always go the way you expect or want them to, something my future self learned the hard way," he explained. "His meeting with you Raya pushed him to begin to accept his destiny however your death hit him even harder," he admitted.

"May I ask why?" Raya inquired, intrigued to learn more about Kal-El and the memories he now processed.

"By the time this all came round he was nearing his wits end, the losses he had sustained were taking a toll on him and the knowledge that had he done as Jor-El had instructed, hundreds of innocent civilians would never have been killed by Zod and Brainiac's actions," Clark answered, feeling he could trust Raya not to repeat any of this to the others "When he learned you had survived and was on Earth he felt the first rays of hope that things would get better," he added. "Those few days he and your future self had were some of the best he had experienced, for once he knew what was it was like to spend time with someone who was just like him," he went on. "She began to teach him a lot and she understood how lonely he had been on Earth, even with his friends nearby, none of them could truly understand what it was like from his point of view," he told her.

"It truly must have been hard for you to fit in here," Raya stated, wondering what her future self had thought of her time with Kal-El. "I am sure that had my future self lived she would have stayed with you," she added, not seeing any situation that could convince her to leave Kal-El's side.

"That would have changed a lot of what then happened to him Raya, especially between him and Lana," Clark said, wondering just how things would have changed. "But back to the point when you were killed, he felt like dying himself as it seemed everyone he got close to died or left him and he considered giving up, but he knew that isn't what you would have wanted and so he went on and for a while things began to fall back into place, but as father mentioned. They didn't stay that way," he stopped, as he thought of the challenges his future self went through, even before the war happened and shuddered hoping they could prevent them this time.

Raya took all of this in and came to the conclusion she and Lana had much more work to do than just helping Kal-El keep his future self's memories from overwhelming him. It seemed they would also have to contend with his emotions or at least those generated within his younger self from the memories which would prove more of a challenge.

Emotions, as had already been proven, could be their worst enemy if they allowed them to rule their plans. She would have to talk to Lana when they returned and warn her of this, so she could help keep Kal-El from losing himself. She reached down and took his hand in hers and interlaced their fingers and immediately felt him relax a little, they continued like this all the way to the city limits, before they kicked into super speed and then took to the air and headed for the fortress.

+++

(Luthor Mansion)

Lex stared out of the window, he was still angry about watching Clark make out with Lana in front of him, a part of him was sure Clark had done that on purpose to provoke him, whilst a smaller part told him they were in love and did that often. He knew if he was ever going to have a chance with Lana he had to get her away from Clark or at least break her confidence in him, but how to go about it, without her learning of it? He felt a slight wince at what he was thinking because he knew if Clark ever learned of this, their friendship would end permanently and if Lana learned of it he would never get a shot at her.

He looked up as someone entered the room behind him and he turned to see his father enter. He looked as if he didn't have a care in the world. Lex frowned and went over what Jason had told him and he wondered if it was true that his father had or at least did have one of the stones.

"Something bothering you Lex?" his father asked, as he went to the drink rack and began to pore himself a whiskey.

"I heard a rumor that might explain why you were attacked," Lex replied, while wondering how his father would react. He put his plans for Clark and Lana aside for the moment, as he focused on something more important.

"I thought I raised you better than to listen to rumors son," Lionel replied with a chuckle and a shake of his head, before he took a deep gulp of his whiskey as he sat down.

"Doesn't hurt to listen, dad," Lex shot back rather than have to remember how he was raised. "Anyway it's been suggested you had or have one of the stones everyone is looking for, including our mysterious new party," he added with a small smirk and watched his father carefully for any signs of a lie.

"I thought I had one of them son, but it turned out to be a fake. The Teague's duped me, when I was busy trying to safeguard your life," Lionel retorted, while taking another gulp of whiskey. "I told you before they are not to be trusted at all," he added and finished his drink. "Now if you will excuse me, I need some rest," he added, left and headed for his room.

Jor-El hoped he had done enough to convince Luthor that everything was fine as far as his father was concerned. Controlling Lionel was beginning to get easier now, as the process of turning him into a full oracle was almost complete. Now the body needed a long rest to recover from the surgery it had undergone.

Lex stared after where his father had vanished, growling somewhat as he had not seen any sort of lie on his face. He wondered once more where his search for the stones would lead him. He had to find them and soon, before anyone else did. He turned and picked up his phone to call one of his labs for a progress report.

+++

(Fortress of Solitude)

Clark and Raya came down just as they reached the opening to the fortress. He was really beginning to like flying again. He had memories of flying as his future self and as Kal, but he hadn't done it except for going to China to retrieve one of the stones. He was still getting over his fear of heights at the time, but this time all he had felt was free. They entered the fortress and headed straight for the control platform.

"Exactly what are we after Kal-El?" Raya inquired, once again feeling a sense of peace flowing through her, as she entered the fortress.

"I need to make some copies of my memories that Jor-El downloaded onto some data crystals with a hook up attached, so normal computers can access them," Clark replied. "I remember my future self using something similar for normal data," he added, as he began to press certain keys relying on his future memories to guide him.

Raya watched and was impressed by the way Kal-El was acting. It was clear that he was trying hard not to allow himself to be distracted by the memories and emotions of his future self, as he had been so far. It showed he had a lot of inner strength and gave her hope for the future. His insistence that they stop what was to come was much how Jor-El had acted during the war, even if it seemed at the moment there was little love between father and son.

"Who are we going to visit?" she asked a few minutes later. "And how are we going to convince them that we speak the truth?" she added, knowing it would not be easy, no matter who these people were.

"For now we're just going to visit three of the future Justice League," Clark answered, as he concentrated on what he was doing. "One is Oliver Queen, he's rich, but has dedicated his life to helping others, either as himself or the Green Arrow," he informed her. "The second is another rich person, but who like Oliver is dedicated to helping people, even if he's a lot more hard edged on how he goes about it. His name is Bruce Wayne, whilst his alter ego is called Batman and he will be the hardest to convince of the truth," he continued.

"The last is Arthur Curry or Aquaman, he's tough and dedicated to stopping the destruction of our oceans, as well as helping people like us who have gifts and have ended up in the wrong hands," he went on. "These three form the backbone of the League in the future, although Batman, like me, was not much of a team player, which is why we ended up losing so badly during the war," he admitted, pausing for a few minutes before going back to his work.

"I take it then that it will be hard to ensure that this time the League, if you can form it, does act as a team?" Raya asked, taking on all the information Kal-El was giving her.

"Sadly yes, some people just like acting alone, thinking it's the best way to get things done," Clark responded, as he finished downloading the data he needed onto three data crystals. "My future self as well as me now have a hard time working with someone else and it will have to change if we have any hope of stopping Luthor, especially if he manages to create his army," he admitted with a shake of his head. "Teamwork is the only way we can do this, which is why I've done what I can to include Lana and Chloe in this as much as possible and not cut them out," he explained, as he led her away after telling Jor-El to inform the others of what they were doing if they were not back by midnight.

Raya could tell that Kal-El was eager to change a lot of what his future self had done, intending to avoid whatever problems his actions had led to, which was a good way to go about changing things. Allowing her hand to be taken by his, they both lifted off from the ground and once again took to the air.

+++

(Kent Farm)

Lana opened her eyes to find she was once again dreaming, as she was in the fortress which was surrounded by a purple hue just like before. She looked around and found Isobel looking at a picture of a man, who looked a little like Clark and she walked over to have a better look.

"Hello Lana," Isobel said without looking at her. "This is Xan-El my husband," she added with a longing look in her eyes.

"He resembles Clark," Lana said softly noting how Isobel was looking at the picture and guessed she missed him.

"He does, doesn't he?" Isobel agreed, finally looking at her. "I remember my first meeting with him as if it was yesterday, just as I am sure you remember your first real meeting with Kal-El," she added with a soft smile, which Lana returned.

"I do: I've viewed it again and again in my head and it surprises me just how quickly we began to trust one another," Lana replied and closed her eyes as she remembered that meeting. "He was upset, although I did not know what about at the time, given what I know now I can guess he learnt the truth about his origins and did not know how to handle it," she continued, opening her eyes to look at Isobel.

"Very good," Isobel said in response. "I am also pleased and impressed you gathered the meaning of my last comment to you in regards to Kal-El and Raya," she added.

"Once I thought it over and then ran the strange connection between Clark and Raya it seemed obvious what you were trying to tell me Isobel," Lana responded. "I know I love Clark enough to share him with Raya, because he is my soul mate," she stated with complete confidence.

"Good because he will need you both to face what is to come," Isobel told her. "He will have a huge weight on his shoulders as a defender of this planet and sometimes he will not be able to save all the innocents out there. No matter how strong he is Lana, he cannot save everyone, even though he will try," she explained. "When that time comes, his worst enemy will be himself and his emotions and you two will need to be there for him and help him through the pain," she continued.

Lana knew Isobel had a point, as one of Clark's worst traits was to take the blame for everything that went wrong and should he become one of the defenders this planet needed, it would only grow worse if he was unable to save someone. Still she would not change Clark for anything and she would not choose anyone other than Clark to spend her life with, she was willing to be his rock during the hard times to come.

"Now we have a lot to go through Lana, concerning what I learned from Xan-El. I also will begin to train you as a witch, so you can access and control my magic without having to rely on me to take control to help you or the group in a dangerous situation," Isobel told her, moving on to the real reason she was visiting her.

Lana had expected to learn about what Isobel had learned about Krypton and its customs, but she was shocked to find out Isobel also intended to train her in the use of magic. She was at first unsure if she was ready for such a thing, before she remembered that Clark had told her that magic could hurt and maybe kill Kryptonians and then she remembered that there were rogue Kryptonians out there, waiting to come here to conquer Earth and kill it's population and she hardened her will and nodded in agreement with Isobel's idea.

"I'm ready to learn," Lana said with a smile which was returned by Isobel who sat cross legged and indicated Lana to join her. Slowly she began to explain what she had learned from Xan-El.  
11\. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

(Gotham City, Batcave under Wayne Manor)

"This is impressive," Raya said as she looked around the cave which had a huge computer system within, along with other modern systems, which obviously helped Batman in his quest to protect the innocent.

"Yeah Bruce sure went all out, before he started taking on the night," Clark said, as he remembered his future self's first time in the Batcave.

"Thank you I do try, now would you care to explain first how you found this place and second how you know who I am," a third voice cut in from behind them, causing them both to turn around to find Batman standing in one of the shadows watching them.

"Easy Bruce, we are no threat to you, I promise," Clark said with his hands raised in a symbol of trust. "We've come here because we need your help to stop a war that is to come. A war that will kill millions and devastate this planet," he added.

"And how would you know of what is to come boy?" Batman shot back, annoyed that he hadn't gotten his answer just yet about how they had found his base.

"It's a long story Bruce, but first check this here out," Clark responded, handing him one of the data crystals. "All you have to do is place it next to your data port and the crystal will activate," he explained, as Batman looked at the crystal wondering what it was, before doing as he was instructed, curious despite himself.

Clark and Raya watched as he began to view the data from the crystal on his main computer, after pulling his mask off showing his face. Clark noted that he was much younger than he had been when his future self had first met him.

Raya was again impressed with how Kal-El was handling the situation. He was obviously trying to avoid any misunderstandings between himself and his potential allies, which was a good move.

"What the hell is this kid?" Bruce asked as he watched a huge battle take place on the main screen, which included himself and he noted that Catwoman was there as well.

"It's a recording of my future self's memories, which were transmitted back through time to me a couple of days ago," Clark replied. "It was our last plan to change the way the war was going, because we were not winning," he added. "You or at least your future self came up with the original idea and from there we spent the next three months refining it, until we ran out of time and sent the transmission, hoping it would work and it did," he explained. "I became host to my future memories within minutes and although it has taken me time to sort out most of it, I know most of what is to come and none of it is good," he stated with a very serious expression.

Bruce stared at the kid and his friend. He watched them, as he quickly ran through what he had just been told. He almost laughed and told him it was impossible, when he remembered some of the strange events of his life and quickly revised his view point.

He sat back wondering what he should do, if the kid was to be believed, a very dark time was coming and it would take the people he saw on the data crystal to try and stop it. He had recognized some of the people on the screen that were fighting with him, such as Catwoman, Green Arrow and Nightwing, still how was it possible to send someone's memories back in time? He needed more information.

"Tell me everything kid, starting at the beginning," Bruce finally said, indicating they should sit which they quickly did.

"You got it Bruce, just keep an open mind," Clark said, relieved Bruce had decided to at least listen to him and not consider him and Raya a threat, before he began to explain the whole thing.

+++

(Metropolis the future)

Brainiac stopped speaking and turned as he sensed a disturbance. As an advanced Kryptonian artificial intelligence he had access to sensors which detected changes even in time and that was what he was now detecting. This was not good and it was clear Kal-El was behind this. A time ripple was already on its way and once it hit, it would change the present, so he would have to act quickly to try to counter this new strategy of the Justice League.

+++

(Gotham City, Batcave under Wayne Manor)

Bruce stared at the kid very concerned, if what he had been told was true, the horrors he had described were truly disturbing. Having watched the video feed from the crystal once again, he truly hoped the kid was either wrong or just insane, but somehow he doubted it just by looking at the kid and his friend's faces.

He had never really been one for playing in a team and even after his partnerships with Robin, Nightwing and the Huntress he was still more comfortable working alone, but if, what the kid had told him, was coming, he would have to change his work ethic.

He took a deep breath and hoped he was not making a big mistake. He turned to his computer and pulled up the file on the kid, noting the almost amused look he was sent instead of the expected frown. The most troubling thing he had been told was that his greatest nemesis, the Joker, would be a part of the army Lex Luthor would assemble to take over the world and would kill his future wife and their unborn child. That information really stroked his anger and rage. Noting, there was nothing to indicate the kid was an escaped mental patient, just that he seemed to have a habit of helping people and so he finally decided to trust him.

"Okay kid, I'll trust you for now," Bruce said, while turning to face his guests.

"Thanks Bruce, we're going to go see Green Arrow and Aquaman tonight and then recruit some of the others tomorrow," Clark said and was very relieved to have won Bruce over. "We'll all meet here at the end of the week at noon," he added, writing down the address to his farm and handing it over to Bruce. "Keep the crystal Bruce, learn from it," he added before standing up and heading for the exit. "One more thing, if you come in character I swear we will not tell the others who you are," he stated before he and Raya super sped out of the Batcave.

Bruce watched them leave before turning back to the computer screen and playing the files again, hoping that they could indeed prevent the carnage to come. He sent out a call to Huntress and Nightwing to join him, as he believed they would come in handy for this. He stood up and walked over to the middle of the cave and wondered about what the kid had told him about his future wife. He had married Talia al Ghul, a relationship he could not see himself in just yet. Then he remembered Clark had also said she had been pregnant when the Joker had killed her and he vowed he would not allow it to happen again, should he decide to try to see if he could make it work with Talia this time around.

+++

(Luthor Lab 33.1)

Lex sat down and continued to listen to the boring presentation of the head researcher, who seemed to think they had made a breakthrough in finding out why the green meteor rocks had such a strange effect on people. It was something he had thought over before, but had dismissed at the time.

Radiation from the meteor's time in space seemed to have transformed the rocks into something much more than simple rocks. He wondered yet again, if Clark had been exposed to the rocks when he was a kid and it was this fact he was hiding, out of fear. He knew Clark and Chloe suspected him of capturing other meteor infected people, just as his father had done before his time in jail.

It made some sense, if he was correct that Clark was not willing to admit the truth, even with his friends and he wondered if he had told any of his friends the actual truth. He knew Lana did not know, because one of the reasons she had gone to Paris was to escape Clark's lies. He stopped and wondered if he could use that to cause a new breech between Clark and Lana, before they got to the point where Clark would tell her the truth about himself.

+++

(Star City, Queen Tower)

Oliver Queen groaned as he removed his Green Arrow hood and top after a hasty battle against a crime syndicate who had been after a small family, who the man of it had decided to testify against the syndicate. He had hurt his shoulder and suffered a deep cut to his back, but other than that he was fine. He had managed to stop the syndicate and sent them running to hide for a while and he had relocated the family to a new safehouse.

"Bad night, Oliver?" a voice asked from behind him and he quickly spun around and brought up his bow and aimed at the intruder. "Hey we're no threat, Oliver. We're just here to talk," the voice added, as he watched two figures step out from the shadows.

"Who are you and how did you get in here?" Oliver demanded to know and considering the tower was very well guarded by his security he kept his bow pointed straight at the young man.

"My name is Clark Kent and this is my friend Raya," Clark responded, knowing Oliver wouldn't shoot unless they provoked him or acted as if they were a threat. We've come here because we need your help to stop Lex Luthor," he added, knowing that should spark Oliver's interest and it did, as Oliver slowly lowered the bow.

"What is he up to now?" Oliver asked, trying to ignore the anger and hate the very idea of Lex Luthor brought to him.

"First you need to view this Oliver, because what I am about to describe will sound crazy to you, but I swear to you on your parents' graves that it's the truth and forgive me for using them. I know how much thinking of them hurts you," Clark said, handing him one of the data crystals.

Oliver narrowed his eyes at the mention of his parents, but relented when the kid asked for forgiveness for using them to illustrate how important he believed this was. He did as he was instructed and his eyes widened as he watched the files play. He was sure this was some kind of ruse, but a glance at the two strangers faces showed they were not here to play a prank.

He recognized Batman, Catwoman, Atom and Green Lantern, who had showed up last year. They were all fighting with other costumed people in what looked like a war. 'What the hell is going on,' he wondered.

"Start talking," he said, while turning to face the strangers after checking anything he could find on Clark Kent, which only indicated that he liked to help people and had a nack for investigating strange going ons in his home town of Smallville.

Clark just nodded and asked that Oliver keeps an opened mind, before he began to explain just what had brought him and Raya to visit him. He just hoped Oliver would believe him.

(Kent Farm)

Lana was amazed by some of the things Isobel had learned from her time with Xan-El. It would seem Chloe had not been kidding when she said the Kryptonians had been a very advanced race. Still it would seem no matter how advanced they had been, they still dealt with the same problems as any other race, such as war. She was just thankful Clark had not perished when the planet had exploded and that Jor-El had chosen Earth as his son's refuge.

As Isobel began to explain how she was going to learn magic, her mind strayed for a minute to Clark before she quickly refocused and listened, hoping she had what it took to learn what Isobel wanted to teach her, so that she could help stop Lex.

+++

(Star City, Queen Tower)

Oliver stared at the young man as he finished speaking. He was wishing he could believe this was all a joke, but knowing Lex Luthor was involved kept that from happening. He remembered exactly what Luthor had been like as a kid, when they were in Excelsior Academy and what he did to Duncan. No, with him involved he could very well see what he had been told coming true and that was something he would fight to stop.

"Okay, I'm willing to at least see where this goes," Oliver finally said. "Lex cannot be allowed to ever control an army," he added.

"Great, thanks Oliver," Clark said, while writing down the address to his farm and handing it to him. "We're going to meet at the end of the week at noon here, to go over everything. If you want to come as Green Arrow go ahead, we promise not to reveal who you really are," he added, before he and Raya headed for the opened window.

"Where are you going now?" Oliver asked, watching the two very curiously.

"We have two more people to visit before we turn in tonight. We have to move slowly less we alert Lex," Clark said in reply. "Keep the crystal and study it, maybe you can find something our future selves missed in how we fought," he added, before he and Raya began to float into the sky and then they speeded away at high speed, so no one would spot them.

"Now that is cool," Oliver said impressed and was wondering if he could build a gadget to replicate the effects. He went back to his computer and frowned at the paused image of the battle, that kid said would take place, if things were not changed. He shivered and hoped that it could be changed.

+++

(Luthor Mansion)

Jor-El walked into the main room of the mansion, knowing the body of Lionel Luthor was in greater health now thanks to the rest he just had and he had finished turning the man into his oracle. He looked around and noted Lex Luthor was missing and he wondered where he was, before he headed to the table and began to try to access the man's computer.

He looked up as someone entered and noted that it was Jason Teague and he seemed to be very annoyed about something. Accessing the memories he had downloaded from Kal-El, he knew he had to be careful what he said to this man.

"If you are looking for Lex he is not here just now, Jason," he said, assuming the role of Lionel Luthor once more.

"I can see that," Jason shot back irritated that he could not focus on getting Lana back because of his mother's orders. "I want to know what you did with the stone you had old man?" he growled, losing his temper and forgetting how dangerous Lionel truly was.

"Be very careful Jason of how you speak. I do not take threats lightly," Lionel responded with a grim smile. "I never had one of the stones. It was a fake and now please show yourself out," he ordered, while getting up and making himself a drink before turning to watch Jason scowl at him before he stormed out.

Jor-El decided to allow Lionel to assume control for a while. Now that he was fully under his influence he would no longer be a threat to his son and his group of friends and family. He retreated into the back of the man's mind and began to go through the memories of his son's future self once again.

Lionel shook his head and was wondering how he had gotten here, as the last thing he remembered was lying on a bed in a cell in Bell Reve. Suddenly he realized he had access to everything he had been seeking for years and he understood he was now at the call of another. Strangely he felt this was an honor and so he walked to his son's desk and began to try to hack his way into the files, to see what he could find on his son's plans to help Clark and his friends.

+++

(Miami, University)

Arthur Curry shook his head and was thinking he was hearing things, as he continued to swim laps in the pool. He could have sworn he heard someone enter, but he had not seen anyone.

"You know I thought you could swim faster than that," a voice said, startling him and he quickly turned in the water to see a young man and a woman standing by the edge of the pool watching him.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Arthur asked, swimming over to them and pulling himself out of the pool.

"We're friends and we need your help," Clark responded, as he tried to get the memories of Arthur's death in the future out of his head. He reached out and grasped Raya's hand and he began to feel a little better.

"Help doing what?" Arthur asked, very unsure what was going on.

"Saving the world, including the oceans," Clark replied. "I know of your activities Arthur as well as your true origin. We have our own secrets to hide, but we're no threat to you, but we do need your help," he added. "Do you have access to a computer?" he asked.

"Yeah, why?" Arthur responded, becoming a little concerned when Clark had mentioned his true origin.

"Because before I explain what is going on you are going to need to watch the files I have on this," Clark answered, as he pulled a data crystal out of his pocket.

Arthur looked at the two people before shrugging, seeing no signs of threat from either of them and so he quickly dried himself of and led them to his dorm room and placed the data crystal next to his laptop, just as Clark had instructed him to do and watched as the files began to play.

+++

(Luthor Mansion)

Lex entered his house somewhat tired and he quickly went to his chair and sat down. He closed his eyes and hoped his search for the stones would lead to something good. He had ordered his scientists at 33.1 to start experimenting with different types of radiation and the rocks, hoping it would lead to a breakthrough in a weapon which could negate the powers given to people exposed to the rocks during the meteor rocks.

+++

(Miami, University)

Arthur was confused as to whether to trust what he had just seen and been told or to just tell the two to leave. If he decided to believe them, they had a hell of a task in front of them and one that seemed worth doing, but if he decided they were lying he could be leaving them to fight an uphill fight, which could lead to the destruction of the world and the oceans that were his true home.

It was a risk he could ill afford to take and so he decided to trust what he was being told. His people hidden beneath the waves were counting on him and this would go a long way to help them and to keep the oceans safe for the future.

"Okay, I'm willing to take a leap of faith and trust what you're saying is the truth," he finally said, after taking a deep breath.

"Thanks man, you won't regret it," Clark said. "Here take this and meet us at the end of the week at noon," he added, handing him a piece of paper with his farm's address on it. "You'll be meeting the others there and then we can discuss what you've learned and you can ask questions, okay?" he continued.

"I'll be there bro," Arthur responded, as he watched his guests get up to leave.

"Keep the data crystal and study it as much as you want, because if we are not careful what is on it will happen again," Clark said, before he and Raya left and headed back to Smallville to retrieve Dax-Ur's beacon.

Arthur watched them go and shook his head at the speed they displayed. Turning back to the laptop, which showed his future self fighting a monstrous creature, he prayed they could indeed change fate and stop what was to come.  
12\. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

(Smallville)

Clark and Raya arrived back in town just as his watches alarm went off to let him know it was ten thirty, as he came to a stop he noted the town centre was basically deserted, which is exactly what he wanted. After securing the help of Bruce, Oliver and Arthur he felt much better about their chances of bringing the Justice League together years earlier than it had in the memories he had from his future self.

He knew he still had much to do before they were ready to take on Lex. He was also weary that something unexpected may happen to worsen the situation, but he refused to focus on that. He super sped to where he remembered the capsule was and then with his super strength he smashed his fist straight through the ground, until he felt the handle of the capsule and then pulled it out and super sped away followed by Raya leaving the few who came out to investigate the noise to stare at the hole that seemed to suddenly have appeared in the ground.

"Here it is," Clark said, showing Raya the beacon with a smile, as they came to stop at the edge of the town.

"That is indeed a beacon and the markings are indeed those of Dax-Ur. I find it amazing that he has hidden out here for a hundred years or more," Raya said, as she looked the beacon over.

"Not really Raya," Clark responded. "He fell in love with a woman, before he ever went through with his plan to try and save this world and so he easily blended in with the humans," he explained at her confused look. "Plus he was here for a few years studying the yellow sun and its effects on our people, before even that, so he knew how to make himself appear as one of them," he added.

"Do you truly believe he will aid us?" Raya asked, as she handed the beacon back.

"I think so, he came here to make up for his sins and helping to safeguard it will help do that," Clark answered. "If Brainiac should come to Earth, then it becomes even more his fight, with his family's life on the line, I am sure he will help," he stated confidently. "You ready?" he asked, as he held the beacon up so Raya could hold it as well.

Raya nodded and waited until Kal-El spoke Dax-Ur's name and the beacon activated, bathing them both in a white light before they vanished.

+++

(Gotham City, Batcave under Wayne Manor)

Batman almost growled in frustration. Nightwing and Huntress argued over what he had just told and shown them regarding the newest threat, they both seemed to think it was a huge prank. The fact that he wanted to go and look for Talia and Ra Al Ghul was also causing some tension, but he was not going to change his mind. He had found within the files a secret file his future counterpart must have infused into the signal sent to Clark, which gave him much more information about what was to come, but he was keeping that to himself.

The secret file gave him a list of the people who would join Lex Luthor's army, including some of his worst enemies like the Joker. He had shivered at how many names were on the list and one of the names that stood out was Bane's. How Luthor had managed to combine them into a single army was a question he kept asking himself: his future self's message was disturbing in another way, as it was clear that he had been deeply affected by the deaths of Talia and their unborn son, as well as the loss of so many friends. He had become bitter and filled with nothing but anger and hate and that was something he wanted to avoid. One thing he wondered was if Clark was aware of the secret message or if his future self had put it in without telling anyone.

"Bruce, you can't just drop everything on the word of some kid," Nightwing shouted, breaking his train of thought.

"Yes I can Dick," he replied slowly. "Clark was not lying about anything he said, I could tell," he added, as he walked towards where the Batplane was. "I have also gone over the files he gave me, they are not fakes and as for the data crystal itself, it is unlike any technology I have ever seen or heard of on Earth," he stated, turning to glare at his original partner. "I cannot take the risk of not believing him. The fate of the world is much bigger than even protecting Gotham," he added.

"If this Clark is right Bruce, how does he plan to stop Luthor?" Huntress inquired, deciding on a more level tone, as it was clear that Bruce had made up his mind on his course of action.

"It's clear that part of his plan revolves around assembling the team showed on the files. I just showed you, which you were a part of," Bruce responded. "As for actually fighting Lex I am not too sure," he added. "But whatever it is, I will do everything I can to help," he went on. "Tell me, if you knew someone you loved or will love was to die and the world made to ruin, what would you do?" he asked them.

Nightwing and Huntress didn't answer because they knew that in that situation they would do everything possible to save that person and the world. They watched in silence as Batman got into the Batplane and left without another word. They both turned back to the screen, which showed a frozen image of a devastated world, a world Clark Kent assured would come to be, if things were not changed.

"Do you think it's possible this Clark is right?" Nightwing inquired, surprised by Bruce's choice.

"I don't know, but he is right about one thing. The risk to the world is too great to ignore," Huntress responded. "All we can do is wait and see and be ready, just in case they are right," she added, to which Nightwing could only nod.

(Arizona, Al's autoshop)

Clark and Raya looked around as the light faded and they could feel solid ground beneath their feet once again. To Clark the place looked exactly the same, as it did when his future self had come here. He hoped Dax-Ur was still up and in a good mood.

Raya followed Kal-El, as he entered the nearby building, which was filled with primitive tools and two obviously broken cars. She came to a stop as a man of middle age came out of a side room holding a spanner, before coming to a stop when he noticed their arrival.

"Hello, can I help you?" the man inquired looking them over.

"Actually Dax-Ur you can," Clark said, tossing the beacon to him and smiled when Dax-Ur caught it and smiled almost sadly as he looked it over. "My name is Kal-El," he said.

"Of the house of El," Dax-Ur said, knowing it was pointless to try to deny who he was. "I always knew you were survivors and who is your friend?" he asked.

"I am Raya-Sal, former assistant to Jor-El," Raya responded, whilst privately agreeing with Dax-Ur's statement of the El's being survivors. "I was recently rescued by Kal-El from the Phantom Zone, where Jor-El sent me to survive the destruction of our home, as he felt any life was better than no life," she added.

"Jor-El never did anything without a purpose Raya. I think there is more to his sending you to the zone than you believe," Dax-Ur responded with a chuckle. "However I doubt you came here to catch me up on recent events. What can I do for you?" he asked, deciding to get to the heart of the matter.

"A couple of things actually," Clark said, having to admit Dax-Ur had a point concerning his father and he wondered what motive he had for sending Raya to the zone other than her survival. "We have a long story to tell Dax-Ur and it is important," he added.

Dax-Ur looked them both over, seeing no signs of hostility from either of them and considering the houses they came from he did not believe they meant him or his family any harm, so he nodded and led them into his house, which was behind his work place where they could sit and talk. He had no secrets from his family, so it was safe to discuss it in front of them.

His wife greeted their guests with surprise, when she realized they came from the same place as her husband, but quickly put it aside and made them all some tea.

"Before I start, I'll ask that you keep an open mind, because some of this will sound crazy, even to a brilliant scientist such as yourself," Clark said, after he thanked Dax-Ur's wife, who he learned was named Grace.

"I can do that, please go ahead," Dax-Ur prompted and he listened as Kal-El began his tale.

+++

(Kent Farm)

Lana woke up still feeling tired, but she felt a hell of a lot stronger than she could ever remember feeling in her life. She had learned a lot from Isobel during her sleep, even as she wondered how she was doing it. Her first lessons on magic had been insightful and troubling as Isobel had pointed out how seductive the power could be and she would have to be careful how she tapped that power.

She got up and went downstairs to find Chloe out cold on the couch. J'onn seemed to have disappeared and Martha was busy cooking, so she went and joined the older woman.

"Is Clark not back yet?" she asked, as Martha noticed her and gave her a warm smile.

"Not yet Lana," Martha replied a little worried about her son and noting Lana felt the same way. "But Raya is with him, so I doubt he is in any trouble," she said hoping to cheer her up.

"Yeah I know Mrs. Kent," Lana agreed. "I saw Isobel again and she has begun to teach me magic," she admitted. "She also taught me a lot of what she learned from her husband Xan-El," she added.

"Is it going to be dangerous for you to learn magic?" Martha asked, very concerned about this new twist, especially as she viewed Isobel the same way she viewed Kal.

"Yes it is. If I tap into the power wrong," Lana admitted. "But I am confident if I take my time I'll be able to do it right," she added, as Mrs. Kent frowned. "I just have to be careful and not rush things," she said with as much confidence as she could.

"If you are sure this is what you want Lana, then we will support you, just be careful. We don't want anything to happen to you," Martha told her. "Jonathan and I care about you as more than just Clark's girlfriend," she said, hugging the younger girl she sometimes viewed as a daughter.

"I know Mrs. Kent and I appreciate it," Lana said with a smile. "I've always felt so safe here," she added as they pulled back. "With Isobel's help I will be able to help Clark stop Lex and help people in the future," she said with a smile.

"Well as I said as long as it is what you want, then I am happy for you Lana and I am sure Clark will be too when he gets back," Martha responded with a motherly smile. "Although I am not too sure I trust Isobel just yet, same with Kal. They are both wild cards and I'm worried that they will not always be so helpful," she admitted.

"I can understand that Mrs. Kent, but Isobel was only a threat when she was tainted by the Teague's and Kal was only so rebellious because Clark would not accept his role as one of this planets defenders, as Jor-El wanted," Lana said after a few minutes. "That has all changed now," she stated with a smile.

"I guess I will have to get used to that fact," Martha sighed. "I know things changed Lana, but I guess I had come to believe these things would never change," she added.

"I better wake Chloe, so she doesn't miss supper," Lana said, after hugging Mrs. Kent again.

Martha smiled, pleased that Lana seemed much more grown up and confident than ever before and it was clear that she was intent on staying with Clark and helping him embrace his destiny.

+++

(Arizona, Al's autoshop)

Dax-Ur stood and walked over to one of his windows and stared out of it, as he went over Kal-El's story. He did not doubt the truth of it for a minute, as he had taken part in many experiments dealing with time before he had left Krypton. Learning his and Jor-El's creation, the brain interactive construct would come to Earth and succeed in releasing General Zod and then cause as much destruction and death on Earth as they had done on Krypton, which would go to include himself and his family disturbed him quite a lot.

He had come to Earth to make up for the sins of his pride in creating Brainiac and what that creation had done in turn, but it would seem that he had not yet reached that point. He could not ignore the request for help from his fellow Kryptonians, especially if Brainiac still made it to Earth. To protect his family, he would have to join them and finally cleanse the darkness from his soul.

"I will return with you Kal-El and assist as much as I can," he finally said, closing his eyes and he released the clasp on his bracelet that held the blue kryptonite that had bound his powers all these years. "Should Brainiac come to Earth, he will need to be stopped fast. I will work with Jor-El to find just such a way," he added.

"Thank you Dax-Ur. I know it's a lot of ask for, but to safeguard Earth and our families this has to be done," Clark said, noting the worried look Grace shot her husband at his choice. "We're not asking you to fight, just to use your mind to help us," he added.

"And I will," Dax-Ur said with a nod. "I have run from this long enough and now it is time to face my demons," he admitted.

"We have one major problem I would like you to think about, my cousin is on this planet trapped in a dam," Clark told him, pleased that he had agreed to help. "She has a crystal in her possession that holds replicants of my mother and Zor-El, who was an ally of Zod and helped to destroy our world. Her memories of this have been removed and we need to restore them," he explained. "Zor-El's replicant cannot be allowed to be born, as his goal for Earth was the same as Zod's, which included wiping out the human race," he continued.

"I see," Dax-Ur said, as he went over this new information. "I take it you want to free your cousin as soon as possible?" he asked.

"I do, Kara is a good person and she does not deserve to pay for the crimes of her father," Clark shot back. "In the future she would sacrifice herself to save millions of human lives against Brainiac and for that alone she is owed this," he added.

"I will think on this tonight and join you at your farm tomorrow. We can then visit the fortress and I will begin to work on both problems," Dax-Ur promised, seeing that the idea of his cousin dying in the future hit Kal-El hard.

"That's all I can ask," Clark said, hoping they could retrieve Kara as soon as possible, because even though he had not met her in this timeline he missed her thanks to the memories of his future self. "The last thing I want to ask you is a bit more personal. I like you have fallen for a human woman and I wanted to ask if I can borrow some of your blue kryptonite bracelets?" he asked remembering Lana had wanted him to get some for the future.

"I will bring a few over tomorrow Kal-El," Dax-Ur agreed with a small chuckle, knowing how easy it was to want to give up all the power they had for the love of a woman.

"Thank you, well I will wish you a good night," Clark said with a smile which was echoed by Raya before they both turned and left Dax-Ur to assure his wife he would not be gone too long.  
13\. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

(Luthor Mansion)

Lex downed the large shot of whiskey before he sat down and rubbed his forehead. He was no closer to learning who the mysterious new party who was after the stones as well was and it was beginning to get on his nerves. He was also annoyed by his failure to separate Clark and Lana. He dismissed the darker impulse within him which suggested to kidnap Lana, because he knew that should she ever find out it was him, he would never be able to possess her and his friendship with Clark would be utterly destroyed and that was something he was not prepared to do just yet.

He logged onto his laptop and began to go through his reports from Luthorcorp and the 33.1 labs. He was making slow headway in his business dealings, but he had to be careful so no one learned of the questionable things he was doing. He leaned back in his chair as he brought up the map he had found hidden in the manuscript he had brought and wondered if it was worth pursuing, now that Jason had told him China had already been hit and the stone removed.

+++

(Kent Farm)

Lana, Chloe, Martha and Jonathan were eating supper and were discussing anything but what they were involved in, as they all wanted a bit of normality for a few hours. They all looked up as Clark and Raya finally returned and both looked tired. Lana quickly abandoned her chair and embraced Clark in a strong hug, before she kissed him as hard as she could, which Clark gladly returned.

"Hey," Lana said, as they slowly broke apart. "I missed you," said with a smile.

"Me too, but we had a lot to do and to discuss," Clark responded, as they all sat down at the table. "I feel a lot better now," he admitted, as Martha went into the kitchen and prepared two new dishes and placed them in front of Clark and Raya who quickly dug in.

"So, what did you get up to Clark?" Chloe asked, wondering what plans her friend had put in motion.

"We went and recruited three of the future Justice League members and arranged to meet at the end of the week here with anyone else we can recruit," Clark said between mouthfuls. "We also managed to get Dax-Ur to agree to help. He will arrive tomorrow," he added. "Don't be surprised if the JL members turn up in costume to protect their real identities and before you ask, we will not reveal who they really are, unless they decide to trust you with that information and I am sorry Lana, but this includes you as well," Clark explained, before looking at Lana, fearing she would get mad at him for this, but she just smiled at him.

"It's okay Clark. In this case it's not your secret to tell and you are trying to protect your friends or future friends. I can understand that," Lana responded. "Considering what these people do, I can understand them wanting to protect their real identities, especially if they have any family who may be targets, should someone learn who they really are," she added with a smile.

"How many are you planning to recruit Clark?" Jonathan asked, as he finished his supper.

"As many as I can dad, but sadly some of them are not even active just yet," Clark replied, as he finished his own meal. "Bart will be hard to track down, but I can look for him tomorrow and see if he wants to join us," he added.

"Hold on, Bart has a special ability?" Chloe asked as she remembered the young man who had befriended Clark and herself two months back.

"Yeah, he can run faster than anyone else and that includes Kryptonians," Clark said, hoping Bart had changed enough to want to help out as he was a good guy and the man he became in the future was a great hero with many saves to his name.

"How is it that this Bart can run faster than us?" Raya inquired as she finished her meal and thanked Mrs. Kent for it.

"According to what he told me, there was some kind of accident which involved lightning, but he would never tell the whole story, not even in the future and we never bothered to push it, especially once the war started," Clark answered. "The point stands though that Bart turned out to be a good friend and a defender of this world," he stated to which the others nodded in acceptance.

"I think you and Raya could do with some sleep Clark. You both look tired," Martha interjected.

Clark nodded and led Raya to his room, where he said she could sleep, whilst he took the guest room. As he settled down on the bed he hoped this was only the beginning of their good fortune and that things would continue to go well for them. He tried to ignore any thoughts of Raya in the next room and Lana downstairs, as he closed his eyes and tried to relax. He quickly opened his eyes again, when someone entered the room and joined him on the bed and he quickly deduced it was Lana.

"Goodnight Clark," Lana said, as she snuggled into his side. She pulled the covers over her, wanting more sleep herself and promising to tell Clark about her meetings with Isobel tomorrow.

"Goodnight Lana," Clark responded, basking in the feeling of falling asleep with Lana in his arms.

Outside the guest room Jonathan was about to enter and tell Lana to sleep in her own room, when Martha intercepted him and shook her head with an almost annoyed look on her face.

"But," he tried to protest, before his wife cut him off.

"They need this right now Jonathan. They need to connect fully," Martha told him, having noted how much Lana had missed Clark all day. "They aren't going to do anything like what you suspect. They just want to feel the other close by and considering what's to come it's going to be rare when they can feel like any normal couple and you know it," she added, leading him to their own bedroom, as Chloe settled on the couch for the night.

"Well as long as they remember the rules," Jonathan said, knowing he would not be able to do anything, now that Martha had made up her mind to trust Clark and Lana would be responsible.

"They will, you have to remember they've been separated for a while and are only now coming back together. Only this time without the barriers that have always kept them at arm's length," Martha reminded him. "In the days to come they will begin to fully build their relationship and I do not expect it to fail again with the way they have been talking and looking at one another. I expect her to become my daughter in law soon enough," she continued as she changed into her night clothes. "They also have to factor in where Raya comes into the relationship and how that will work. So I am content not to make things any more difficult for them and just allow them to find their way on their own," she finished as she got into bed.

Jonathan could only smile at knowing that his wife was correct. With Lana now knowing the full truth about Clark and accepting it, he fully expected the young woman to marry their son down the line, as had been evident when she asked Clark to pick up the blue kryptonite, which would allow them to have a family of their own.

It was clear to him that Lana was planning a long term relationship with Clark this time around and if he was honest with himself, he couldn't think of a girl he rather have as a daughter in law. His wife was also correct that with the danger they faced they all deserved some time to feel normal and to do normal things, especially with the one you loved. He also had to agree that Clark, Lana and Raya had some serious discussions to get through, so he decided to do as his wife had and trust they would find their own way without rushing things.

+++

Raya settled down for the night pleased to feel the soft mattress underneath her, this was the first time she had slept in a bed since she had entered the Phantom Zone and she felt the bliss of being able to sleep without the fear of being caught unaware by one of the zoners. It had been a very long day and she was still processing a lot of what happened and what she had learned. Kal-El had opened up to her with things it seemed he had not yet confessed to Lana and that surprised her.

The meetings with the people who would become allies in the future had gone well and she had been impressed that they had all listened to what they had to tell them and had enough trust to believe them. She had to admit Jor-El had been right, the humans had a great potential within them, if they could avoid the pitfalls any civilization faced. She closed her eyes and began to dream of the future they would create and the family she was sure she and Kal-El would raise alongside his family with Lana.

+++

(Star City, Queen Tower)

Oliver Queen watched through the files again Clark had given him. The more he watched them the more he prayed he was strong enough to help them avert what he had been assured would come. He had run the files through filters to see if they had been faked, but he could find no signs of tampering. He had played the taped conversation with Clark and Raya through his system and the computers could detect no sighs of falsehood in their speech patterns, which had convinced him all the more that what he had been told was the truth and that chilled him to the bone and made him shiver.

He stood and walked to the window. He looked out into the night wondering who else Clark was recruiting. He had some ideas based on what he had seen on the files, but still he was wondering exactly which people he would choose to bring into this. He was also looking forward to meeting people like himself who were dedicated to helping others something he was now convinced Clark was one of. They had a lot to work to do, but if they made it he decided he would join this Justice League if it was decided to keep it alive.

+++

(Ghul Mansion, Middle East)

Batman looked at the mansion which was to where he had tracked Ra and Talia down to. He was across the dune which hid his plane. He didn't know exactly why he had come, just that since learning that he and Talia could be a couple and raise a family he had felt compelled to try and start the relationship as fast as possible.

The icy cold fear he felt at the thought of losing her and any child they had still gripped him. He guessed that was why he had come. He wanted to put Talia on her guard. The problem was Ra himself, according to his future self's secret message he and Ra had made peace with each other for the sake of Talia's happiness. The idea he would do such a thing for a woman was hard for him to understand, but he decided that since his future self had married Talia she meant everything to him. He was willing to take a chance, but he was not going in there blindly, he needed a little help and so he turned and went back to the plane and pulled out his cell phone and rang the number Clark had give him.

+++

(Kent Farm)

Clark groaned as his cell went off. He rolled over and reluctantly released Lana, who mumbled a little in protest before going back to sleep. He got up and went over to where his jeans where and fished out his phone.

"Hello?" he said, while quietly leaving the room and going downstairs. "Bruce, I'm surprised what's up?" he asked before sitting down as Bruce explained why he was calling. "Yeah I'll be there shortly," he said after Bruce finished speaking.

He sighed and shook his head, knowing Bruce could be stubborn once he got an idea in his head, thanks to his future memories, but this time he could not fault his reasoning. It would seem by telling Bruce about being married to Talia he had opened up Bruce to the realm of hope of building a family. Something Bruce had told him in the future he had never believed he could do.

"Son, what's wrong?" Jonathan asked, as he came downstairs after hearing someone wandering around and wanting to check it out.

"I have to go out to help one of the friends I mentioned," Clark said in reply. "If Lana or the others wake up and ask, tell them I will be back soon," he said as he quickly super sped upstairs and changed before coming back down and heading for the door.

"Do you think you should take Raya with you for back up?" Jonathan asked a little concerned by this.

"No, let her rest dad," Clark replied, before exiting the house and super speeding off to where Bruce said he was.

Jonathan sighed before he relocked the door and turned to find Lana and Martha standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Where did he go?" Lana asked disappointed Clark had left her when she had felt so warm and safe in his arms.

"He got a call from one of the people he visited today. They needed his help and so he went," Jonathan answered while rubbing his eyes. "He didn't want to wake anyone, even Raya," he added.

"I'm sure he'll be back soon Lana," Martha said, rubbing the girls back noting she seemed worried.

"I know he will. He always comes back to me," Lana said absently, before returning to her room, leaving Martha and Jonathan to hope that their son did not get himself into any serious trouble or they knew he would face Lana's wrath once she had assured his health.

+++

(Ghul Mansion, Middle East)

Bruce looked surprised as Clark appeared beside him only ten minutes after placing his call. The kid certainly had his skills. He pulled his mask off and watched as the kid looked over the mansion.

"This is not going to be easy Bruce. Are you sure you want to do this?" Clark asked. "Ra may have become an ally in the future, due in no small part because of your marriage to Talia, but he had also seen his ways were not what was best for the world, especially for his daughter and grandchild," he added. "This Ra is a very different man," he stated.

"I know that Clark," Bruce responded. "However according to my future self's message Ra can be convinced to help us to protect his daughter and any future children she has," he explained. "Also once he learns what we know I think it will change how he views the world and make him change his beliefs, plus he and his organization would be a valuable ally against Luthor and his army," he added. "For the chance of having a family I am willing to take any risk, even placing my trust in an enemy," he stated with conviction.

"I can understand that Bruce. I guess I shouldn't be surprised your future self put his own message in the energy wave we sent back to give me the memories I now have, it's just your style," Clark said, staring at the mansion as Bruce put his mask back on. "Hold on," he said as he grabbed Bruce and flew them up to one of the balconies.

He knew Bruce had a point, if the war came again having Ra and his organization on their side would be a big help, especially in countering Lex's business ties. Still this was a big risk and one that could backfire on them, but he was willing to trust Bruce's instincts and his heart, which he was sure, was set on Talia.

He quickly x-rayed the rooms they were close to, before pausing on the last one which contained a young woman and an older man. He smiled as he realized he had located their targets.

"Got them, hold on," Clark said, before grabbing Bruce and flying them to the balcony of the last window. "How do you want to do this?" he asked, as he opened the window with his super strength as quietly as he could.

"Let me do the talking at the beginning," Bruce said, as he entered, followed by Clark to find themselves in large room which seemed to be a relaxation room considering what was in it.

Clark noted Ra and his daughter were seated at a table and were talking. They had not yet noticed his and Bruce's presence as they were keeping to the shadows. He prayed one last time that they were not about to risk everything before he followed Bruce into the room.

"I hope I am not disturbing you," Bruce said, as he finally spoke, alerting the two to their presence.

"Detective... I was not expecting you," Ra Al Ghul said, as he stood and watched the dark knight walk out of the shadows, joined a second later by Talia who looked pleased to see him. "I did not know I had done anything recently to attract your attention," he added with a smirk.

"You haven't," Bruce responded, as he pulled his mask back off. Surprising both Ghul's as he usually did not do such a thing, even to people who knew his real identity. "I am here to talk to you both. There is a very big situation coming and I find our paths tied by it," he explained, as Clark took up a position to his side and kept an eye out for any guards or other surprises.

"Intriguing," Ra said thoughtfully at the idea. "So you wish my help?" he asked.

"It's more complicated than that Ra. First you need to watch this," Bruce responded, handing him the data crystal and telling him how to activate it.

Ra gave him a hard look before looking at his unknown friend before his curiosity got the better of him. He did as he was instructed and watched in surprise as his computer and monitor activated as the crystal lit up. He and Talia watched as the files contained within the crystal played.

When the files finished Bruce produced a disk which was much more modern and slipped it into the computer drive.

"As I verified that the files were not faked I discovered a secondary message within the original. It was recorded by my future self for me, watch," Bruce said he pressed the play button.

Clark himself was interested in seeing this message from the future Bruce and stepped closer. A much older Bruce Wayne appeared on the screen and like he saw in his future memories his eyes were cold and distant.

"I am sure you are surprised to find this, but I decided more had to be done to ensure the war is stopped before it starts," the future Bruce started. "This plan is our last hope, if it fails the world falls to Luthor and his army. You have to help Clark and his friends stop it," he continued, "I am sure by now you've been told we married and were going to have a child only for them both to be murdered by the Joker, well he had help in luring her into the trap and away from safety," the message went on. "First as you know, we married Talia Al Ghul, strange as it may sound to you Bruce we finally found the happiness we always believed we would never have. We came to an understanding with Ra who had changed a lot by that point, however his past would come back to haunt us as his second daughter Nyssa was the one who helped Joker kill Talia," here the future Bruce paused as if fighting the memories of these events. "If I know you like I do, you will head out to find the Ghul's as soon as Clark has contacted you. Tell them everything and remind Ghul that once, before his wife's death, he was just like any other man," here the message stopped and then a list of names appeared.

"Those are the names of the people who will join Luthor's armies," Bruce said. "It gives us a huge advantage," he added. "But it does not assure us of victory," he said.

"What game are you playing, detective?" Ra asked with a frown, finding it hard to focus at the mention of his wife Sora.

"No games, this is serious," Bruce stated. "At first I was convinced it was all a joke, but I can find no evidence of it, as I have said I have analyzed the files and they are not faked. I ran the recording of Clark's explanation through a lie detector, but there is no spike he was telling the truth and finally the crystal which contains the files is unlike any technology I have ever seen before," he explained.

"We married?" Talia asked as she stared at the frozen image of the future Bruce Wayne. "We were going to have a child?" she asked turning to face Bruce.

"You did marry Bruce, I was there Talia or at least my future self was," Clark said, stepping forward knowing if they won Talia over that they have won half the battle. "It was a year before the war broke out completely. You and Bruce had been seeing each other for a while, although he would never discuss his private life with us we knew you were helping him see hope," he went on. "Your death and that of your unborn child destroyed him. It turned him back into what he was like when he first became Batman, vengeful and filled with hate. He had tracked both Joker and Nyssa for two years, whilst the war waged, before he finally managed to track them down and kill them both. He did it with Ra's help. Sadly Ra himself would be killed a month later by Bane and Luthor in retaliation," he added. "My head is full of memories of a future that terrifies me. I am doing everything I can to prevent it coming to be. I have come here because Bruce believes you can help us, as you helped us in the future Ra," he stated.

Ra stood and faced the newcomer, staring him in the eye as hard as he could. He could see no trace of falsehood in him. In fact he could see the horror and terror the young man had spoken of in them. He looked to his daughter who seemed to believe them. This was something he had never encountered in his long life. The risks they spoke of were ones he would have to take seriously, especially where it concerned Talia.

"You are Clark?" he asked and when the young man nodded he spoke again. "Tell me everything," he ordered, needing all the information if he was to make such a huge decision.

They all sat back down and Clark began his tale once again, wishing Lana and Raya were with him as the memories were coming back much stronger than before.

+++

(Fortress of Solitude)

Jor-El was monitoring his vessel Lionel Luthor as he slept and was pleased to see his conditioning had worked. He was no longer a threat to his son and his allies, so he would not have to control him all the time which would allow him to work on the more serious problems of helping to retrieve Kara and stop Brainiac, should he ever reach Earth.

He was impressed by his son's actions so far and he had to admit he had been wrong to try and strong arm his son into accepting his destiny before. He was ready. He was not pleased by some of the things he had seen himself do in the memories he had downloaded from Kal-El and it was easy to see why Kal-El had such a hard time accepting him as his father. He promised himself he would do much better this time. His son was already on the path to becoming one of the defenders this world needed if it was to avoid the same fate as Krypton and he now had Lana and Raya there to help him shoulder the burden and give him a reason to fight. Something his actions had tried to prevent to his own stupidity.

He had forgotten or ignored the lessons he himself had learned from his time on Earth with Louise. He had been a fool and acted just like the people who had doomed Krypton with their arrogance. He would not make the same mistakes again. Finally turning to the problems at hand he began to monitor the time stream as well, just in case.

+++

(Ghul Mansion, Middle East)

Ra sat back in his chair as Clark finished speaking looking tired and worn out from reliving the memories of his future self. Ra had encountered a lot of strange things in his long life and he himself was one of them. Having survived for five hundred years he did not dismiss what he was been told, as he still could detect no falsehood from the young man and he had been staring him dead in the eye all the way through his explanation. He had blinked not once blinked or looked away.

"If everything you say is true, how do you plan to stop it?" Ra finally asked, looking again at his daughter and noting all she was doing was staring at Bruce, who returned the look and strangely Ra could see that the barriers between them were down.

"I am assembling the people who would become the League as well as some other allies as we speak. Then we will hopefully strike before Luthor has time to begin raising his army and before Brainiac can arrive," Clark answered. "If you decide to help, it will go a long way in giving us a chance against Luthor's business ties, as well as some of the other people who are a threat," he added.

"I need time to think," Ra said. "You are welcomed to stay as guests," he added, as he stood and began to leave the room, noticing Bruce nodded his head in acceptance as Talia went and sat next to him.

"One thing to consider Ra," Bruce said, facing him once more. "If you agree to help us you will have the heir you have always wanted. I will not interfere in your business ventures as long as they do not threaten the world and if needs be I will help you if you are attacked," he stated, as Talia hesitantly took his hand in hers.

Ra noticed this and knew his daughter had once again made her choice and that was Bruce Wayne. Only this time Bruce was willing to return her affections. He had a lot to think about, especially after what Bruce had just offered in return. Clark, he noted had vanished and he was impressed that he had done so without being noticed. He turned and left the room, leaving Bruce and his daughter to talk about the future.

+++

(Kent Farm)

Jonathan jerked awake as something knocked on the door and he quickly made his way over to the door after getting up from the couch. He sighed as he noted Clark was standing outside and quickly let him in before locking the door again.

"Is everything alright now, son?" he asked, noting Clark really looked tired now.

"Yeah, we may have found another ally," Clark responded, as they both headed upstairs. "I will go back tomorrow to make sure, but for now I just want to sleep," he added, before quietly going into the guest room after his father had nodded and moved to his own bedroom.

Clark quickly stripped to his boxers without really thinking about it and getting back into bed with Lana and pulling her gently against himself. He hoped Ra would decide to help if only to ensure his daughter's survival. He felt Lana turn and snuggle up against him and he sighed as he felt the memories of the future retreat to be replaced by his hopes and dreams.  
14\. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

(Luthor Mansion)

Lionel Luthor smiled as he entered the study, now knowing he was a part of something so much bigger than himself. It was even bigger than he had ever believed it could be when he had first learned of the Traveler when he had been a member of Veritas.

He remembered his actions at that time and he found that he hated what he had done in an attempt to gain control of the Traveler when he had arrived, such as murdering the Queens so that he could steal their key and then later on had Virgil Swan poisoned to remove him as an ally to Clark Kent, who he had learned was in contact with the doctor. These actions now shamed him and he was determined to make up for these sins, as well as stop what he now knew was to come. He knew the memories he could access were of the future and he knew he needed to do everything he could to help avoid the future it showed.

He had already started when he had hacked into his son's computer last night and gained as much information on 33.1 progress as he could. He would go over later to share it with Clark and the others, hoping once they learned it was him and not Jor-El they would still accept him. He noted Lex was already up and working on his computer smiling himself at whatever he was readying.

"You seem happy Lex, something good happened?" he inquired, as he sat down in front of his son.

"Just some of my recent projects have begun to bear fruits," Lex responded with a smirk, as he closed down his computer and faced his father. "Have a good rest dad?" he asked

"I did actually, I was really tired," Lionel shot back. "I take it you have not found out anything about our new enemy in regards to the stones?" he inquired.

"Not yet dad, but I will find them soon enough," Lex replied frowning before getting up to make himself a drink. "I still hope to convince Lana and Clark that she should stay here for her own protection and so I will be heading to the farm later today," he added, having decided to give it another go by lying and saying an attempt had been made on his life the night before, as well as one on Jason, who he had met with to discuss this before going to bed.

"Oh and how do you plan to do that? Somehow I don't see Lana choosing to leave Clark as they have just got back together," Lionel said in reply, whilst inwardly he groaned at his son's persistence in chasing something that would never be his, at least not in this time line.

"I think I can convince them dad, just leave it to me," Lex assured him with a smirk, sure he would succeed this time before downing his drink.

"Well I have to go. I'm dropping in on the Kent's before I go, to discuss my past transgressions hoping to bury the hatchet," Lionel said, as he stood and heeded for the door as an excuse as to why he would go near the farm, that would not cause his son to become suspicious.

"Good luck with that," Lex said in disbelief that his father would even attempt such a thing with Jonathan Kent. He shook his head and sat back down, wondering if his father was slowly losing his mind.

+++

(Kent Farm)

Clark smiled slowly as he awoke to find Lana in his arms smiling at him as he woke up. She leaned forward and kissed him as hard as she could, before snuggling closer to him.

"How did things go last night?" she asked curious why he had left for a few hours while obviously being tired

"Not too bad, we may have gained another ally and I will find out later today," Clark replied, as he kissed her again before getting up and going for a shower, knowing there was much to do and they had no time to stay in bed cuddling, no matter how much he wished they could.

Lana watched him go and sighed knowing they couldn't stay in bed, but a part of her wanted nothing more. She waited until Clark had finished his shower before going for her own and then getting ready for the day.

They found everyone else already up and at the table and so joined them as Martha placed two plates of food in front of them. They looked up in surprise as someone knocked on the door and they opened it to find Lionel Luthor outside, looking nervous

"Clark?" Jonathan asked knowing in his gut this was not Jor-El on control by the look in Luthor's eyes.

"Easy dad, he's no threat," Clark reminded his father, also noting Jor-El seemed to have released control of the man, but he was not to troubled by it, as he knew the future Lionel had been a great ally in the future most of the time. "Come in Lionel," he added.

"Thank you Clark," Lionel replied with a small smile. "I know I am not welcome here, at least as far as your parents are concerned so I will be quick. This is all the information I could get of Lex's computer concerning 33.1," he told them. "It shows how far he has come in his experiments and what he has planned for the future, for some reason his plans seem accelerated from what I remember from the memories Jor-El downloaded from you," he continued with a frown. "I think something or someone is trying to combat your efforts to stop the war," he warned very seriously

"Brainiac, it has to be him," Clark growled.

"How, I thought he was stuck in space and was not active?" Lana inquired, confused how Clark had come to this conclusion as well as being worried by what Lionel had said.

"I'm talking about the Brainiac from the future Lana. As an advanced Kryptonian artificial intelligence he would have time sensors, which can detect changes in the time line," Clark explained to the others. "If he picked up a time ripple he may be trying to stop us by somehow changing things himself. He could be sending Lex information straight into his mind to push him in certain directions," he added with a curse. "My future self allowed himself to believe the changes in time would not give him time enough to counter us, I guess he was wrong," he went on with a shake of his head.

"What's the worse he could do before the ripples changes that future?" Chloe inquired, very worried about what the answer could be.

"He could activate the black ship and send it towards earth as well as fill this version of Brainiac with all the knowledge of how to beat us and how to make the war happen," Clark responded slumping into a chair.

"Can we stop him from sending these signals?" Chloe asked, her mind whirling with possibilities.

"I am afraid not Chloe," Raya was the one who answered. "Or at least not right now and it would take days if not weeks to create something that could and by then it would be to late," she added. "Our best option here is to continue to change the future as best we can and then try and counter whatever it is Brainiac is attempting to do," she advised.

"Raya is correct," Jor-El said, assuming control of Lionel once more. "We should not waste our time on this," he added.

"Very well father. Dax-ur should be arriving soon and so he will join you at the fortress to work out a way to free Kara and stop Brainiac," Clark said after a few moments of silence.

"Before I go Clark, I told Lex I was coming here to try and make up for my past sins in regards to your family, as a way of explaining my presence here, so do not be surprised if Lex mentions it," Lionel said, as he once again found himself in control. "Also he is planning on coming over again to try and convince Lana to stay in the manor once more," he warned them, noting the looks of anger that passed on Clark's, Lana's and Kent's faces at this.

"Thanks for the head's up," Clark said. "I have a mission for you Lionel, I want you to go and see Patricia Swan, warn her about Lex and tell her everything, in return I want her father's diary," he said, as he thought of his next move and that was to try and contain some of Lex's more brutal crimes and he felt he owed Virgil Swan and had to do what he could to protect his daughter.

"She will not listen to me Clark, but I will try and I think talking to Jor-El will help her accept my tale," Lionel said, wincing slightly at having to face the young woman, but then after considering it may be the best if he did confess his sins. "I take it that there is something of importance in the diary?" he asked.

"Possible, there is something in the memories about it, but I can't seem to see it to well," Clark replied, straining to pull up the memory he was thinking off. "Still she needs to be warned not to have any contact with Lex and she may also think about hiding that key somewhere no one will look for it," he added. "I do not want Lex to get anywhere near the fortress or the orb. This time it has to stay buried," he added.

"I can attempt to retrieve the orb and move it," Lionel offered, knowing why Clark did not want Lex near it from the memories of the future, as someone else entered the house. Clark just smiled and welcomed the man.

"Everyone this is Dax-Ur," Clark introduced the man. "Dax-Ur, I'd like you meet my foster parents Jonathan and Martha Kent, my best friend Chloe Sullivan, my girlfriend Lana Lang, this is Lionel Luthor, Jor-El's vessel, and finally J'onn a long time ally and friend of my father and of course you remember Raya," he introduced his group one by one and Dax-Ur nodded in greeting to each, before Clark turned back to Lionel.

"For now Lionel do nothing about the orb, but keep a close eye on Lex, especially if he starts investigating anywhere near the fortress," Clark told him.

"Very clear Clark," Lionel said in understanding, before Jor-El took over. "Dax-Ur it is a pleasure to meet you once again. I am pleased you have decided to help us as it seems Brainiac is attempting to stop us from the future before a time ripple changes his present," he said facing the older man.

"I see, that makes our job more difficult, but not impossible," Dax-Ur responded. "I have already given much thought on how to stop Brainiac and I feel the best chance we may have is to reprogram him," he added.

"Of course, that's what stopped him last time. A group of heroes from the future came back in time and helped capture him and then reprogrammed him," Clark said, as the memory suddenly surfaced, having been buried before. "But capturing him was not easy," he added frowning. "Still it's a plan and more than we had before," he went on.

"I have begun molding new stones to throw of Luthor and the Teague's," Jor-El informed them, remembering the other things he had wanted to say. "I shall infuse some energy as well as some knowledge you humans have forgotten into them, to make them seem genuine," he informed them.

"How long will it be until they are ready?" Raya inquired.

"Three days is the best I can do," Jor-El responded. "I shall lead Dax-Ur to the fortress and then help Lionel accomplish the mission you have given him before returning," Jor-El said and headed for the door.

Dax-Ur handed Clark a box with a smile, before following Jor-El. He was still getting used to being able to use his powers once again, but he remembered how to use them and so soon took off after Jor-El's vessel.

"Clark, what were you discussing with Lionel?" Jonathan asked, knowing there was a lot more said between them than he believed.

Clark sighed before motioning the others to all sit as he explained about Veritas, the keys, the cryptograph and finally the orb and what had happened when he had learned about them all, as well as meeting the daughter of Virgil Swan who was to be killed by Lex in his pursuit of a way of controlling him.

+++

(Ghul Mansion, Middle East)

Bruce Wayne stood and was staring out of the window of one of the bedrooms he had stayed in, thinking over his long talk with Talia the night before. There had been no barriers between them, as they began to get to know the other better. He had felt more alive than ever before and yet he still found it hard to believe that any of this was happening.

He was dressed in some clothes one of the staff had brought in for him. He wondered when Clark was going to return, before turning and heading for the dining room where he found Talia and Ra already waiting for him.

"I trust you had a good night, detective?" Ra inquired with a small smile.

"I did, thank you," Bruce responded, wondering what Ra had decided in regards to what he and Clark had told them. He joined them at the table, sitting next to Talia without even thinking about it.

"We will discuss business later when your friend returns," Ra said, noting the curious look on Bruce's face, who just nodded in understanding and began to eat his breakfast, almost jumping as he felt Talia's hand come to rest on his thigh.

+++

(Star City, Queen Tower)

Oliver had just finished breakfast and was about to start some exercises when he noted Clark was waiting for him. He smiled, wondering if he could construct someway of stopping the young man from getting in without been detected.

"How are you doing, Oliver?" Clark asked, with a smile of his own.

"Better after a good night's sleep," Oliver replied. "What's up?" he asked, wondering why the young man was back so soon, as they had made plans to meet up at the end of the week with the rest of the future members of the Justice League.

"I need you to design some costumes for me and my group," Clark responded, pulling out some sheets of paper and handing them to Oliver who began to look them over and noting the detail in them.

Clark had after he finished informing the others about Veritas and everything involved with it, decided they had to start getting ready for when they were ready to strike and so he had sat down and drawn some designs for everyone. The costumes would disguise them all, as well as help protect them from injury once he had applied some Kryptonian tech to them.

He had decided to not use the red, blue and yellow custom his future self had finally used. He needed something more grown up and something more practical. He had decided on pure black with silver outlines, as well as choosing silver for his family insignia which would go on his, Raya's, Lana's and Kara's costumes. He had also chosen for each costume to have a head piece as well as a voice modulator which Oliver and the League had used to such great success in the future to hide their Identities and he had no plan to play a bumberling idiot this time around.

"Cool designs man, did you draw these?" Oliver inquired, while sitting down as he continued to go over the sheets of paper he had been given and he was very impressed with the designs.

"Yeah I did," Clark admitted. "Can you do it?" he asked.

"Yeah I can. I should have them ready by next week," Oliver responded with a smile. "I take it all the measurements are correct?" he asked, leaning back into his chair.

"Yes, but it won't matter. I will be adding some of my own tech to them once they are ready, such as an auto fitting device," Clark said in reply. "It will fit the costume to whoever is wearing it. My people were true genius in some areas," he admitted.

"I don't suppose you would be willing to share some of this technology, would you?" Oliver could not help but ask.

"Maybe Oliver, I did before in the future, especially when we were trying to build the watchtower," Clark answered with a grim look. "Sadly the war stopped us and it was destroyed by Brainiac and Doomsday before it was half built," he added with a shudder. "Once we are in a better position and we've gotten most of the other members of the JL to join us, I will see what can be shared and what this planet is ready for," he said. "Too much would cause chaos and so we have to move slowly," he reminded his friend.

"I know, but I am happy you are willing to share," Oliver said, impressed by this as he had worried slightly on learning this young man and his friends had access to advanced alien technology, but knowing he did not plan on keeping it all to himself he relaxed soon.

"Anyway I got to go and check on another friend and then visit some of our other future allies," Clark said shaking Oliver's hand, before taking of and heading for the Ghul's mansion, leaving Oliver to summon one of his scientists, so that they could begin to design the costumes Clark wanted.  
15\. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

(Kent Farm)

Lana sat down across from Raya wondering what she wished to speak about. Considering that they had already got past the most important thing between them and that was the situation with Clark. She looked the young woman in the eyes and noted that she was concerned about something and she began to feel it had to do with Clark.

"I wanted to talk to you because I believe we face more than one problem in our struggle," Raya said.

"How so?" Lana inquired, as she settled into the chair she was sitting on.

"Kal-El as you know is fighting the memories of his future self, so that he is not overwhelmed by them, however a greater threat lies behind them and it concerns the emotions the memories stir within him, as was seen when Lex Luthor paid a visit," Raya explained. "I believe the longer Kal-El hosts the memories the stronger his emotional reaction to them will be and in some cases that could be very dangerous," she continued.

"I see," Lana said, knowing the other woman had a point, as she remembered how enraged Clark had become when Lex turned up. Never before had she seen him so overcome and then there was how he looked at her when he first recovered from the energy wave, which contained the future memories. "How do you propose we help him stay in control?" she asked after a few more seconds of deep thought.

"I would suggest we download them out of Kal-El's mind, but I doubt he would accept such a course of action as a copy of the memories does not contain everything we need to change the future for the better. Certain memories will trigger a deeper reaction within him and let him know which things need to be changed," Raya responded. "The second option is we pay closer attention to him and make sure one of us accompanies him until this is over, so that we can be there to intercede if needed," she added.

"Is there nothing else we can do?" Lana asked worried by what Raya had brought up as she did not want to lose Clark, especially not to his own future memories.

"I will speak with Jor-El and Dak-Ur on the matter when I visit the Fortress, but apart from that? Not that I can see," Raya responded with a frown, not liking the fact she could see no way to help Kal-El at the moment.

"Wait a second, maybe Isobel might know some way to help Clark," Lana said. Her eyes widened as she suddenly thought of another avenue they could explore that may help Clark. "Clark said magic is very effective against your people, so maybe there is a spell that can help him keep the emotions the memories evoke under control," she explained, when she noted Raya looked confused to what she meant.

Raya was actually impressed by Lana's suggestion and she saw why Kal-El had chosen her as his first lover. She had a keen mind as well as a warm and strong heart. "You may be correct. You should try to meditate to see if you can speak to her," she said in way of reply. "It would be helpful if you had more than one way of contacting her, other than sleeping," she added when Lana looked surprised at her own suggestion.

"I'll try it now and see if it works. Why don't you pay a visit to the fortress and talk to Jor-El and Dax-Ur?" Lana nodded in agreement. "Just watch your back, Clark is beginning to seriously care for you and should anything happen to you could push him close to the edge, which while this whole thing is in the balance is closer than ever," she added.

"I agree, until this situation has been resolved any serious loss could send Kal-El insane with grief and loss," Raya nodded, knowing Lana was correct. "I advise the same to you Lana. Kal-El may care for me, but he loves you and losing you a second time may be all that is needed to push him too far and also remember Luthor wants you for himself, which puts you in more danger than me," she warned her new friend.

Lana could only nod as she took the warning to heart, as she knew just how much Raya was right after listening to Jor-El on how far Lex would go to control and process her. She watched Raya leave before sitting down cross legged. She closed her eyes and began to try and summon Isobel in some way.

She knew it would take some time, but she was willing to try as long as it took, as it was to help Clark and that was all the motivation she needed to push herself. She went over what Raya had told her again and she prayed they found a way of helping to stem the emotional feedback before it was too late and Clark either ended up doing something he would later regret or he would go mad and become lost in his own mind for the rest of his life and neither option was acceptable to her.

+++

(Ghul Mansion, Middle East)

Clark entered the mansion to find Bruce, Talia and Ra in the main living room, discussing their past encounters. He was pleased to see Bruce and Talia were getting along and there had been no problems while he had been away, still that did not ensure Ra would help them and so he decided to stay on his guard. "How're you doing Bruce?" he asked, alerting the three to his return.

"I'm good," Bruce replied with a small smile noting Clark tenseness, which showed he was no fool to just relax just because he and Talia were getting along as everything depended on Ra and what he decided to do. "Welcome back," Ra said smiling as the young man again demonstrated that he had abilities which allowed him to move quickly and in some cases silent which could be very useful in some of his endeavors, but he doubted Clark would agree unless his plans were only to help people, but then again considering the conclusion he had come to after a lot of soul searching it may be possible to get his help in some new plans he had begun to put together.

"Thank you Ra," Clark said, knowing to keep his tone as respectful as he could. His future memories showed Ra could lose his temper quite easily and he had no desire to provoke the man. "Have you thought over what we told you?" he inquired as he sat down, but still kept an eye out for any signs of a trap.

"I have given the matter a great deal of thought Clark. It has forced me to realize that I have reached a crossroad in my life and have to ask the question what is more important to me," Ra responded, his eyes showing how much he had thought over this. "My daughter or my beliefs," he added, as he stood and began to pace a little. "And I came to the conclusion I have lost my way. I never set out to destroy the world, I had only come to that conclusion after Sora's death and my first resurrection," he explained. "I guess the process changed me more than I ever realized and it is time to make up for my mistakes. I will help you and your friends," he told them after a few moments of silence. "For my daughter and any children she has I will help you stop the madness to come," he stated.

Talia jumped up and hugged her father. She was very happy that he was going to help them and allow her and Bruce to be together. She had feared he would refuse them and then she would have to once again make a choice between her love for Bruce and her love for her father only she sensed this time it would be a choice she could never take back. Bruce was shocked to say the least, but he was also relived that he would never again have to face Ra in battle, as he was one of his more clever adversaries. Clark smiled and nodded, pleased to see this Ra had come to the same conclusion as his future self had. Now things were beginning to look up.

"I thank you Ra. We are going to have a meeting at the end of the week with those others I'm recruiting. I would like you to join us," Clark told him as he wrote down his address and handed it to him.

"Do you not think Luthor would become suspicious for you to have so many wealthy guests?" Talia inquired, as she leaned against Bruce still unable to believe she would have her chance with Bruce. "We won't be staying at the farm house, but moving to my main base of operations. The only reason why I've said we should meet at my place is because there is no other way to get to my base, unless you know where it is and although I have told you about it I have not given out its location for obvious reasons," Clark explained with a small smile.

"Wise choice, still I believe it best we lure Luthor away from Smallville whilst this meeting goes on," Ra suggested. "We may be able to do just that if one of our plans is complete before the meeting," Clark said in reply, as he thought over the plan they had to duplicate the stones, as well as the fact Ra and Talia had a point, if Lex learned he had met with people like Bruce, Oliver and Ra he would become even more suspicious and obsessive and they couldn't afford that just now. Things were already heating up faster than he would have liked thanks to Brainiac's interference from the future.

"What are you going to do next Clark?" Bruce inquired, having decided to stay here for a day or two before heading back to Gotham. He had already talked to Dick on his cell and while he and Helena were willing to give the benefit of the doubt now, he knew they were both still skeptical.

"I gotta stop in at home as Lex is supposed to visit, before I head for more of our future allies to recruit them," Clark responded, as he stood and prepared to head out. "One thing you should know is that I think things are going to pick up fast somewhere down the line and you should be on guard. Brainiac is trying to interfere in our plans from the future before a time ripple changes that timeline permanently," he informed them. "We've seen evidence of it already, so keep an eye out for a hit on you. If Brainiac sends information on who will be part of the League he will try and kill them. I should warn Green Arrow and Aquaman as well. I'll see you all later," he continued before super speeding away.

"How does he do that?" Talia asked amazed by what she had just seen as she has missed how he moved the night before.

"He never mentioned where his powers come from, just that he has them," Bruce responded. "He's told us a lot of information, but he is keeping certain things to himself which is wise," he added.

"I agree detective," Ra said with a nod. "Still his warning worries me so I shall alert my guards to be more watchful. I suggest you warn your friends to be on the alert as well," he added as he stood to go and do just that. "Yeah good point," Bruce said as he pulled his cell phone out and called Dick.

+++

(Kent Farm)

Clark entered fast and picked up the red kryptonite ring as the others came in to see who had arrived and noted what he was doing and they all guessed why he was doing it. He placed it on just as they all heard a car pull into the driveway. Kal frowned, knowing they had been lucky to get back in time after warning Oliver and Arthur to be on the alert to face Lex. He worried what he might have done if he believed he was not around to protect Lana.

"May I can come in?" Lex asked, as he knocked on the open door. "Go ahead Lex, what brings you by?" Kal inquired, acting as if he had no idea he was going to show up.

"I wanted to talk to you and Lana about her moving into the mansion again," Lex answered. "And before you get defensive Clark, I'm only suggesting this because I truly believe she is in danger from this new faction that has popped up," he added, cutting Kal off as he went to say something.

"I don't want to move into the mansion Lex and remember, it's already been broken into and your father was attacked, so it can't be that safe," Lana finally spoke up, angered by Lex's attempted manipulation. "I'm very safe here as I know the Kents will make sure nothing happens to me, you should know that already," she added, her smile somewhat cold.

"Lana, as good as the Kents are, I don't believe they can handle the people who may come after you," Lex argued, annoyed they were so difficult about this. "Don't you understand they will do anything for these stones, including maybe killing those close to you?" he pointed out, confident that would weaken her argument, as he knew how much she cared for the Kents.

"We're very capable of protecting ourselves Lex," Jonathan finally spoke up, wanting nothing more than to drive his fist into the man's face, but he kept himself in check. "We've dealt with quite a few dangerous people who have shown up around here in the last few years. Now both Lana and Clark have made their choice and I'll not have you badger her into something, you're just going to have to accept her choice," he stated.

"Mr. Kent I respect what you're saying, but I really don't believe you understand the gravity of this situation or what you maybe dragging your family into," Lex shot back, not yet ready to concede defeat. "I don't want anything bad to happen to any of you," he added now playing up the concerned friend.

"I thank you for your concern Lex really, but I think you may be overstating things," Kal said, barely able to stop himself from striking the man down and he knew if Clark had been in control Lex would most likely either already be dead or in a coma. "They've attack Lionel, which suggest they are more interested in your family and maybe the Teague's as well. I doubt they consider a small town boy and girl much trouble," he added with a smirk. "I mean we don't have huge sums of money to buy the stones and we don't have men who can find the stones and we aren't even actively looking for the stones," he reminded the man. "The only time we got involved in this is when Isobel showed up and she is gone now, so tell me how much of a threat could they possible think we are?" he asked.

Lex stared at Clark really angry now, but he could not fault his friend's logic. He wouldn't consider them a threat if he did not know them or what he suspected they could do. So why should some newcomers believe them to be a threat? He would have to accept things for now, because it was clear Lana would not leave the Kents. He frowned slightly as he began to think of other ways he could convince Lana to move into the mansion, before realizing the group was waiting for his reply. "Maybe you're right, Clark," he finally said. "I guess I've just allowed myself to become a little paranoid," he said with a laugh. "Okay I'll leave it be for now, but I don't want you to get sloppy. They might try and get to you just because you know me," he advised them.

"You got it Lex," Clark assured him with a smile. "By the way did you know your father popped by trying to make amends with us?" he asked, trying to distract the man. "Yeah, he mentioned something about it before he left," Lex responded with a shake of his head, still unable to believe his father could think the Kents would forgive him for what he had done to them. "How did it go?" he inquired.

"Badly," Jonathan was the one who answered. "I don't know how he got it into his head we'd so easily forgive him, but he was not welcome here," he added.

"It's possible the attack has got him thinking about the future, but somehow I doubt it. I'd keep my eyes open around him, my father is not to be trusted," Lex said before he turned and left and as he drove away from the farm he began to plot ways to convince Lana to move into the mansion, not bothering to listen to the voice which was protesting this move.

+T+

Kal growled and slammed his hand into the nearby wall, but managed not to smash it. He was beginning to grow a little tired of playing nice with their enemy, but he knew it was necessary for now. He looked at the others and noted they seemed just as angry as he was.

"We're going to have to keep an eye on him for a bit. J'onn, follow him and see what he is up to. Use whatever you have to find out if he plans to try and convince Lana to move in with him," he told the Martian who had come out of hiding alongside Raya, as they still did not want Lex to know about their presence just yet. "Just don't get caught," he added with clear concern.

"I will be careful Kal-El," J'onn responded with a smile. "I shall return tonight," he added before he shot of in a red blur, quickly catching up with Luthor's car and trailed it back to the mansion making sure to stay above the cloud cover so he would not be seen, before settling on a nearby tree which had heavy coverage to hide him and using his super hearing he began to listen in to what was going on inside.

Kal thought a few things through before he removed the ring and allowed Clark to retake control. Clark could sense Kal's frustration at not acting just yet, but he was pleased he seemed to realize it was necessary for the time being.

"Are you okay son?" Jonathan inquired. "I will be dad. I need to talk to Raya and Lana for a bit and then we'll visit another of our future allies," he added, dreading this conversation.

During his trip to meet Bruce he had begun to remember more of the war, he had remembered just how far gone he was by the time they sent the message backwards in time. All of his close friends and family were dead by that point and he had become almost like a shell of his former self. The only reason he had kept going was thanks to the close bond he had formed with Diana Prince, also known as Wonder Woman.

She had brought him back from the brink of self destruction and made him focus on the task at hand. They had grown much closer than either realized and had it not been for his resistance to fall in love again he was sure his future self would have begun a relationship with her. To see her again was going to cause a huge emotional reaction and he was unsure if he would be able to control it. Which was why he had decided to warn Raya and Lana who he would be taking with him to see them on the island of the Amazons, he just hoped they would be understanding about it. He led them to his room and then he began to explain everything he had begun to remember surrounding the war and Diana Prince.

+T+

(Luthor Mansion)

Lex sat behind his desk continuing to go through plans that may make Lana move in with him. He just had to be careful how he went about it, as he knew one wrong step and he would lose both Lana and Clark as friends and then he would never have a shot with Lana in the future, which he was sure he would have when Clark fouled up his relationship with Lana once again by keeping secrets from her.

He leaned back in his chair and took a small gulp of his brandy as he looked over his latest reports from the 33.1 labs, things were progressing well although lately he had to admit he seemed to be coming up with new plans which were not his own. He wondered what was going on before he shook his head and began to make his next moves in first locating the stones and then the new faction whoever they were.

+T+

(Kent Farm)

Lana and Raya looked between themselves as Clark finished his explanation then left them to discuss it. They both began to worry about the emotional impact this meeting would have on him. Although it was clear to them both that this Diana Prince could help them a great deal in keeping Clark in check if some of what they had been told is true.

"We'll have to talk to her in private and gain her assistance in keeping an eye on Clark," Lana said finally. "She is obviously a strong woman inside and out and has what it takes to help Clark, especially if we are not there ourselves," she added.

"I agree Lana," Raya said with a nod. "It is clear the emotional attachment to this Diana has come back as did his emotional attachment to me. This may course some trouble later on if they begin to bond quickly," she suggested. "From what he stated it was very rare for an Amazon to take a mate unless it was to produce offspring, but it is clear the future Diana fell in love with Kal-El and he only fought this so he would not have to suffer the agony of loosing someone else he loved, but that does not mean he will not fall for her now as he did for me," she added.

"It's possible we might have to face sharing Clark with her, but somehow I doubt Clark will pursue her," Lana said. "If this Diana comes after him sometime in the future we should just let it be, we know he will not leave us," she stated.

"I agree, we should meet with her in private as soon as we can so we can explain why Kal-El reacts so strongly towards her, the sooner she is aware of the problems we face the sooner she can help us keep him in control," Raya said after thinking it over and coming to the same conclusion as Lana.

"We better go, the sooner we get there the sooner we can move on to the next part of our plan whatever that is," Lana said. "I am concerned about how this Brainiac will change things," she added as she got up and began to leave the room.

"Do not let it bother you Lana, we will deal with whatever changes as it comes," Raya said, gently rubbing Lana's back as they left the room and joined Clark who was talking with Chloe, who would be joining them on this trip as well.  
16\. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

(Themyscira, Island of the Amazons)

Clark was as nervous as he had been when he had finally told Lana the whole truth about his origins when this whole thing had begun. Facing the Amazons especially Diana would bring a whole lot of emotion to the surface. Not just because of the connection his future self had formed with Diana, but because his future self had fought in the battle to protect them and failed. Luthor's army had destroyed the island and killed many of the Amazons. He had stayed lost in a sea of hate and anger fighting onwards until Diana had finally convinced him to leave. The surviving Amazons had moved to the League's safe heaven and joined the war as there was no other choice, considering Luthor's intentions.

As he landed and let Lana go he immediately knelt knowing he had to make a good impression on Diana and her mother the queen Hippolyta. Lana, Chloe and Raya looked confused to what he was doing, but he shook his head and told them to stay standing. It didn't take long for a group of Amazons to surround them and for Diana and her sister Donna to arrive looking surprised by their presence on the island.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Diana demanded to know as she looked the four newcomers over, before resting on the male who seemed to be trying to show respect to them by kneeling.

"My name is Kal-El of Krypton Princess Diana. My companions are Raya, also of Krypton, and Lana and Chloe of Earth," Clark spoke up, but kept his tone even. "We have come to ask for your help. A great darkness is close and if we fail to stop it everything including your island will be destroyed and your people scattered," he added, doing everything he could not to allow his emotions to take control.

Diana didn't know what the man was trying to elude to, by trying to make it seem he and the older woman were from somewhere other than Earth, but she could sense no lie when he mentioned an approaching evil. He seemed very tense and he also seemed to know a lot about her and her people, whilst his companions were looking around in surprise and in one case a little awe.

"Summon my mother," Diana ordered, knowing this was something she would have to decide before turning back from the guard who was now running back to the palace. "How do you know of us Kal-El?" she asked.

"It's a long story and one you would find hard to believe, but it is the truth. I know of you because I met you in the future," Clark replied. "A future I'm trying very hard to avoid," he added his eyes showing the darkness he had seen and Diana had no trouble believing some of what he said.

"So you are saying you have been here before on this island?" Donna inquired, very uneasy by the presence of the newcomers and about how they had found them.

"Yes, many times and the last time has been at the battle of Themyscira, where we were defeated in defending the island from the enemy who will destroy the world," Clark said. "I fought not for myself, but for you and your people," he added.

"That is a tall claim," a new voice said and they all looked as a new woman arrived, surrounded by four warriors. "No man would serve us," she said. "No man would bend his knee to us," she went on as she came to a stop between Diana and Donna.

"And yet Clark is kneeling in front of you to show respect," Lana said, just stopping herself from growling a little annoyed by the woman's statement. "We have seen the proof of his claims and he will show them to you as well, if you will listen. If you don't you are going to be responsible for the destruction of your people," she added.

"You have strength," Hippolyta noted a little amused, as she could see the younger woman was annoyed with what she had said. "Very well, we will hear and see this proof. You friend will be wrapped in the Lasso of truth so we know he speaks no lie. Follow me," she said, before turning and walking away, followed by her guards and finally Diana and Donna, who stayed close to them as they walked.

+T+

(33.1 Lab)

Lex walked into the lab wondering why he suddenly had new ideas in his head about how to increase his research into the meteor rocks and what they could do to people. He had woken up from a long rest and had been filled with things he knew were not his and yet they showed such promise. He had come here to set a few more plans in motion, which would if they worked help him create an army of meteor freaks that would be loyal to him and him alone. He always had wanted power and now somehow he had a way of attaining that power.

He was also beginning to think of creating a crime syndicate for some reason, all of his previous good intentions seemed to be falling away in his search for the stones and power to rule and he could barely hear the whispers of his inner self, which continued to try and turn him from his new path. He smiled at the idea of the power he could have if he pulled together people like himself who wanted power and money. He would look into that later, first he had to set the beginnings of his army into motion. He could barely contain his eagerness to begin. He would however have to be careful how he did this and he would have to make sure his father never found out about this.

+T+

(Fortress of Solitude)

Dax-Ur looked up from his work as a crystal began to flash red and he realized it was a monitor of the time line and it was alerting him to changes in the time line. He quickly had Jor-El to bring up the date and he frowned as he looked it over.

"Brainiac is continuing to change things at a fast pace, but it should not be long before the time ripple destroys the present he is currently in and stop him," Jor-El told him. "Still we run the danger of him having time to give him the location of the fortress," he added.

"True, but it does seem he is concentrating in pushing Luthor onto the path that led him to wage war and ignoring anything to do with us," Dax-Ur responded as he continued to read the data. "You should keep an eye on it, I will put the fortress's defenses on full alert, so even if he does have the location it will take him some time to reach us," he added before he went back to his work on finding a way to give Kara back her memories that Zor-El had erased.

+T+

(Themyscira, Island of the Amazons)

The questioning had been long and Lana and Chloe were both showing signs of losing their tempers. Clark had told his tale and then answered every question the queen had and yet she was still showing signs of doubt and asking more questions. It seemed even with Clark bound with the Lasso of Truth she was very distrustful of men. Raya remained calm and kept her eyes on Diana, watching to see what she made of it all and she had noted that she seemed to believe him, while her sister Donna seemed to be torn about it. Finally they showed the three women the laptop they had brought with them and placed one of the data crystals next to it. They allowed them to watch it play Clark's future memories for them, including the destruction of their island. By the end of it they all looked uneasy and somewhat angry by the destruction they had seen.

"By the gods," Diana said. "How can we prevent this?" she asked.

"As I said I have already begun trying to stop it, but I need help. I can't do this alone," Clark told her, making sure to keep eye contact with Diana. "In the future you were a great help to us. Not just in fighting, but also planning and giving advice. I need you," he added, his emotions breaking through before he could stop them and he knew he had given away something he had not meant to, as Diana now looked surprised and somewhat confused.

"We were close?" she asked, stepping forward and kneeling in front of him, as he was also on his knees and had been throughout the whole thing.

"Yes, at the end you were the only thing keeping me from finding a way to die," Clark reluctantly admitted. "You were my best friend, my lifeline and the last bit of light in a world of darkness but there was no relationship Diana as I wouldn't allow myself to freely admit I that I loved you. I had already lost too much to risk it," he said, looking down as the memories surfaced, this time more powerfully.

Diana was confused by everything she had heard today, but this especially. She knew one day she would look for a mate so that she could have a child, but this showed she might have found something more in this future of his, only for it to be held back out of fear. She didn't know this man and yet she could tell he felt greatly for her. She looked to his companions and noted that each of them was watching her closely. So they must have known about this before they came here.

She stood again and walked back to her mother's side. Noting she was deep in thought as was her sister she waited, watching Kal-El as he fought to regain control of himself. As the Lasso was removed from him, he was allowed to stand.

"I will allow Diana to help you. If only to stop the destruction of our island and the slaying of my people," Hippolyta finally said. "I can't ignore what has been said while under the Lasso of Truth. I place her in your care Kal-El and I expect my daughter to return unharmed. Is that understood?" she demanded to know.

Clark dropped back to his knees and bowed. "Very clear, I pledge myself to helping you in any way I can and I will make sure nothing happens to Diana, you have my word," he stated.

"She will meet you at the end of week when you plan to meet the rest of your allies and she will be fully prepared to aid you," Hippolyta said not wanting her daughter to leave, but seeing no other way to protect their people. She was truly disturbed by what she had seen and heard could happen in the future and she wanted to stop it before it began.

"May I and Lana speak to you in private, Diana?" Raya finally spoke up, seeing a golden opportunity in gaining her help to keep Kal-El safe and smiled as Diana nodded and led her and Lana to her private chambers, so that they could talk, leaving Chloe and Clark where they were.

Chloe began hesitantly to ask about the history of the Amazons and was soon listening to Hippolyta's story of her people, while Clark sat cross legged and began to try and meditate before Donna led him to a secluded garden where it would be easier and even though he was watched by two guards and Donna he easily slipped away into his own thoughts and began to try to gain control of himself.

+T+

(Fortress of Solitude)

Dax-Ur smiled as he finally came up with the solution to help Kara. He quickly began to construct a device he would need using the technology of the fortress. He turned as he heard someone else arrive and he turned to see Jor-El's vessel come up behind him. "How did your trip go?" he inquired, as he went back to work.

"It took some time to convince Patricia Swan of the whole truth, but we were successful in convincing her to stay away from Lex Luthor, as well as hiding the key somewhere no one can find it," Lionel said, as he resumed control of his body. "We also obtained the diary as Clark asked us to and she wishes to meet him when he has the time," he added.

"That is not surprise giving everything she grew up learning from her father," Dax-ur responded, having learned much more of the tale from Jor-El while they had been working. "I am sure Kal-El will meet with her, when he believes that he has reached a point that he is succeeding in changing the future," he continued. "I have finally found a way to give Kara back her memories," he said, moving on to other matters.

"That should please Clark. I could tell he has been missing his cousin, even though technically he has never even met her," Lionel said with a smile. "Jor-El is also almost finished creating the new stones so they can be imbued with some energy and information to throw Lex and the Teague's off our trail," he added as he listened to Jor-El's voice inside his mind.

"It may not be enough as there has been an increase in the changes Brainiac is making from the future," Dax-Ur shot back, looking up from his work. "Thankfully so far he is just making sure Luthor takes the path that leads to war and not giving him information about us, also he has not yet contacted his past self in the black ship," he informed him.

"He doesn't have much time before the time ripple destroys his present, so we will have to keep an eye on that, as I believe he will alert the black ship and sent it to Earth soon," Jor-El said from the Fortress, leaving Lionel in control of his body.

"And we still have no way of stopping his interference in this time frame?" Lionel inquired.

"No, unfortunately we do not," Jor-El answered. "So we must move as fast as we can. The stones will be ready by tomorrow so we should come up with some plan of making sure Luthor and the Teague's find them," he continued.

"I'll come up with something using my contacts or maybe with a little help from J'onn," Lionel volunteered before he exited the Fortress leaving the Kryptonian's to their work.

+T+

(Themyscira, Island of the Amazons)

Diana headed to where she had been told Kal-El was thinking over what she had learned from Raya and Lana. It would seem there were more problems in changing the future than had been stated, especially if, like Raya and Lana feared, Kal-El was overcome by his future memories and emotions. They had asked for her help in keeping him in control, especially if they were not there with him. They had told her he had seemed to have gained certain emotional connections to certain people from his future self. Which included Raya and now her and while she was unsure how to feel about that, she had agreed to help them, knowing it was the best way to make sure the future was changed for the better.

She came to a stop next to her sister who was watching Kal-El meditate. He seemed peaceful and relaxed. A far cry to how he had been since he had arrived and she wondered what it truly was like to have such horrors suddenly transferred to your mind. She looked to her sister who seemed to be still thinking over what they had learned, while the two guards just kept an eye on Kal-El. She had been impressed by some of the things she had seen her future self do and she was determined to do even better this time. Then she walked over to collect Kal-El.

"Is it time to go?" he asked before she got to close to him, surprising her a bit.

"Yes, now that everything has been agreed to it is time for you to go," Diana said. "I will meet you at your home at the end of the week as you have agreed with your other allies. I am already planning my human disguise along the lines of what you showed us in your memories," she informed him.

"Good, this will be a long and dangerous path Diana, but it will be worth it to stop the madness I saw my future self go through. The death and the destruction were beyond anything I could imagine," Clark said, as he stood and faced her. "I wish we could have met under different circumstances as before," he said with a sigh.

"So do I, however we must deal with what is and not what we wish to be," Diana said in return. "I will see you soon Kal-El," as he left with Donna and the guards behind him, she sat where Kal-El had been and began to plan how to help advert the darkness to come.

Clark met up with Chloe, Lana and Raya at the shore where they had arrived and silently left the island, pleased they had gained the help of another ally.

+T+

(Kent Farm)

Martha and Jonathan looked up as Clark and the others returned just behind Lionel who had wanted to go over what had happened and what he had learned. Clark seemed somewhat calm yet conflicted while the others seemed fine and happy. The Kents wondered what had happened on their trip. They all sat down at the table and began to go through the day's events so far. Clark battled with his feelings and those of his future self as he began believe things would go bad before they were ready to act if the Brainiac from the future continued to push Lex onto the path he had taken that had led to the war.

"I'll go and see Dax-Ur with Raya after a rest and then we will pick up Kara," he told them after they had finished. "The rest of you can do what you want for a bit," he added before he stood and went upstairs to his bedroom, followed by Raya and Lana who were intent on making sure he was okay.

Chloe decided to go into town and get some dinner, while J'onn headed back to Luthor mansion to resume spying on Luthor. Lionel also returned to the mansion to see if he could find what else his son was up to. Martha and Jonathan began to worry about the stress their son was under and what would happen to him, should he fail to stop the war from coming again.  
17\. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

(Kent Farm, 2 days later)

Clark was tense as he waited for his allies to arrive so they could head to the fortress and begin to plan how to stop the war from happening once again. They had managed with J'onn's help to lure Lex and Jason away from Smallville to track down the false stones Jor-El had created. A lot had happened in the last two days, first they had rescued Kara and hid her ship in the fortress and her memories had been restored, so she now knew the truth about her father and his actions, which helped destroy Krypton and she also had been brought up to date on how things stood. She had instantly agreed to aid them in stopping the darkness to come and they had spent some time getting to know one another while J'onn had taken the blue crystal that contained Zor-El and his mother's replicants to the moon and buried it there where he could not hear it calling to him, thanks to Jor-El putting a sound dampener on it.

Second he had recruited Bart Allen, Zatanna, Kyle Rayner, Jennifer-Lynn Hayden and her brother Todd Rice. Dick Greyson and Helena Bertinelli had also joined them thanks to Bruce being able to convince them it was the best option to avoid the darkness to come as had Donna Troy thanks to Diana.

Each had agreed to help them stop Lex Luthor and the madness he would bring. Sadly most of the people who would make up the League were either not active, too young or not on Earth right now, such as Hawkman and Hawkwoman, but having two Green Lanterns was a plus, although technically Jade got her powers from a different source than Kyle, but she would serve in the corps in the future, just before the war started. Bart had signed up eager to show how he had changed since they had last bumped into each other. He had taken a lot of amusement out of learning he was involved with two women and may end up with a third. The last bit he had learned from Chloe who seemed to be enjoying his company.

This was a change, he had not expected to see that happen and if it continued he doubted Chloe would have a relationship with Jimmy Olsen when she went to work with the Daily Planet. Lois had finally been brought into the fold after a group discussion came to the conclusion it was for the best. She had been stunned, then angry and finally accepted that things were much more than she had first believed. Clark had not expected her to react any differently, as she had been an ally in the future as well. She had been his writing partner at the Daily Planet, where his future self had worked before the war had erupted.

Sadly they had not had everything going their way, as Brainiac had continued to change things for another day before his signal had cut out as the time ripple finally eradicated that timeline. The changes he had brought had pushed Lex to break ties with them and put his full focus on breeding an army. He had also begun to recruit other criminals. From what they could find out he got the Joker, the Riddler, Bane, Sinestro, Deathstroke and finally Toyman.

Together they posed a great threat. Each had been in the war in the future and had killed many during it. When the news had arrived through Ra about their alliance with Lex he had fought a rage not unlike that he had felt when he had first met Lex again after receiving the memories of his future self. Things were rapidly falling apart and he guessed he should not be to surprised thanks to Brainiac's interference. Another major problem had been the fact that Brainiac had also activated the black ship and it was slowly heading for Earth. It's movements were been monitored by Jor-El and Dax-Ur, who were confused why it was moving so slowly.

Once his friends arrived they would move from the passive stance they had been in to one of war, because he seriously doubted they would be able to stop Lex without some kind of fight now that he had such dangerous allies.

Ra and Talia were on high alert in case Nyssa showed up. Bruce had been attempting to locate Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman, to get her aid, but so far he had not been able to find her. He was certain his friend would catch up with her and he was sure Selina would help them as she was not an evil person at heart. As he continued to wait he thought over how other things had gone. He had grown closer to Raya and Diana who he had gone to visit twice more to keep her up to date on things while Raya and Lionel/Jor-El visited the others to do the same. He was still fighting the memories and emotions of his future self, but he was getting better at regaining that control faster than he had before. He closed his eyes and prayed that what happened from this point forward would indeed prevent the future his future self had been a part of. He doubted he could survive going through it himself, especially if they began to lose people.

He looked up as finally Lana, Raya and his parents arrived, followed by Chloe, J'onn, Lionel and Dax-Ur who had all been busy with their own things. A few seconds later Bruce arrived dressed in his Batman outfit alongside Dick and Helana, who were also in their outfits. Ra and Talia were with them as well. Clark quickly introduced them to everyone although he hadn't doubted Bruce knew who Lionel was.

After that the others began to arrive within the next hour, the last being Oliver who, like the other heroes, was in his outfit. He carried in a large box he handed to Clark stating they were finished. Clark smirked and quickly dug out the outfits Oliver had made. Clearly Oliver had pushed his people to finish them quicker than normal due to how things had changed so much in such a short space of time. He handed them out to Raya, Kara, Lana, Lionel/Jor-EL and Chloe who were all a part of the fight. J'onn had his own outfit already. Things were tense when it came to Lionel and Oliver, but after informing Oliver than Lionel was now under his father's control Oliver had backed off in wanting revenge for his parents deaths which Lionel had confessed to in a private meeting with the young man at his own behest.

"Clark, when did you asked to get these done?" Lana inquired, as she looked the outfit over.

"Four days ago. I will be adding some tech from the fortress to them so that they will adjust to anyone who wears them as well as adding a shield generator," Clark answered absently as he quickly super sped to his room and changed, followed a second later by Raya. Lionel, Chloe and Lana followed at a slower pace.

When they were kitted out Clark led them to the caves and activated the portal sending them all to the fortress before he removed the key and super sped there himself thinking over everything again and again.

+T+

(Madrid Spain)

Lex smiled as he watched his men dig where he had come to believe one of the stones of power was buried thanks to a tip he had received from some breakaway faction of the one which had attacked his father. It would seem they were having a little power struggle which helped stop them from uniting the stones. He was also soon to meet this man and buy another of the stones they had collected, the one that had been stolen from china. He looked to his left where Jason stood looking tense and angry and wondered yet again if he should just get rid of the man as he was of no use to him now that he had new plans that could lead him to gain true power, but then he shook his head as he knew if he did kill him, his mother would retaliate and she had enough money and power to hurt him right now.

He was still somewhat confused as to where his new plans and ideas had come from, but he no longer fought them and the voice of his younger self had faded altogether which he liked a lot as he resented the voice that had held him back. He had cut ties with Clark and the rest of his former friends, because he didn't trust them and he knew they didn't trust him as well. He was soon going to put a plan into motion to capture Lana once he had found the stones. He was waiting on his scientist to finish making a lot of bullets with cases made from green meteor rocks. Somehow he knew that if he was to succeed he would need them. Again he didn't know how he knew it, just that he did and he smiled as he thought of finally having Lana in his grasp before concentrating on the dig.

"Mr. Luthor," the team leader shouted in excitement. "We've found something. It's a lead box with very strange markings," he added as he turned to his boss, who walked forward with a cool almost blank look on his face.

"Excellent," Lex said, keeping his expression as calm as possible, not wanting to give away how much he wanted the stones before he knelt down and retrieved the box and slowly opened it to reveal the stone within.

It was a transparent color with one of the strange markings from the Kawatche Caves in its centre. It reminded him of the stone he had found in Egypt before it had been stolen.

"Are we sure this is not another fake like the one that was stolen from your father?" Jason inquired, as he looked at the stone, trying to think of a way to get his hands on it for his mother, even as he began to feel fearful about the way Lex had been acting of late.

"I think so," Lex replied before walking away, followed by Jason while his team began to fill in the hole. "We have a meeting to attend where we may get the second stone," he reminded his temporary ally.

"I still find it hard to believe this faction has suddenly split up and one side is willing to either give us the stones or help us locate them," Jason stated once again as he had already argued this point twice before when they had first been contacted.

"I have my doubts as well, but if it gets us the stones I'm willing to play their games for now," Lex responded with a tight smile. "Once we have the stones then we will crush them and after that you can deal with Clark and maybe win back Lana," he added, playing on the man's emotions as he still wanted to get Lana back and get rid of Clark, which Lex wanted as well although he was still somewhat confused why he was suddenly so eager to kill him before shaking his head and getting into his car, followed by Jason.

+T+

(Fortress of Solitude)

Clark sat at the front of his allies as they discussed everything and going over everything that had happened since Clark had received his memories. He was surprised everyone had pulled down their masks and introduced themselves, revealing their true identities, especially Bruce, but he guessed they were willing to take a chance as each had a lot to lose and the best way to succeed was with trust.

As the discussion continued he wondered what Lex was planning next now that he had begun to once again follow the same path that had led to the war in the future. He frowned knowing Brainiac had at least made things ten times harder for them to change things than they were before he interfered. Luckily it seemed he had been more focused on making sure Lex took that path than on revealing to him the truth about him and the identities of the League, which at least gave them an edge. However that was tempered by the fact that the black ship was now on its way to Earth, just slower than before and without the meteor shower to cover it, as only two meteors were in front of it this time, although he didn't know why and nor did Jor-El and Dax-Ur.

"So, how do we go about stopping Luthor?" Bart asked from his seat next to Chloe, still amazed to know his friend was an alien from another world and that at the moment he was in a structure from that world.

"We have to stop him from building his army and take down his allies," Bruce answered with a cold tone to his voice before Clark could say anything. "His most dangerous allies are Joker, Bane and Sinestro. We take them down and we stand a better chance of preventing some of what will happen in the future," he added.

Clark worried about Bruce when he spoke the name of the Joker. It was clear to him that learning what he would take from Bruce in the future had marked him deeply and he was determined to remove the threat once and for all, which gave him an idea.

"I think once we have beaten them we should banish them to the phantom zone instead of handing them over to the courts," he said, gaining the others attention silencing them.

"The government is not going to like that at all Clark," Jade responded as she remembered what Clark had told her about the zone. "I doubt they will stand by and allow us to send to them to a hellhole, no matter what they've done," she added.

"I have to agree Clark. No one in power would agree with that idea," Oliver agreed as did Kyle and Lionel.

"I know they wouldn't," Clark said with a frown. "It's a failing of our justice system that we end up fighting the same villains so many times, even if they have been sent away for murder they escape," he continued. "I think this time we take the League one step further and banish our most dangerous enemies, no matter what the government says. We represent the people of the whole world or at least we did in the future," he pressed on. "We serve no government or justice system, we serve the world, we are here to protect the people," he added.

"I have to agree," Bruce said. "I have for a long time ignored what the justice system thinks of me or my methods. I do what I have too to save lives," he added as he stood and walked over to stand next to Clark. "I have fought Joker too many times to count and I'm sick of the fact that the prisons can't hold him. He is a deranged monster who deserves to be sent to the zone and the same can be said of Bane and most of the others," he added. "We can deal with the fallout of our actions later on when it's over," he stated.

"I agree. If Lex is stopped and only sent to prison he will escape and come back at us more deadly than ever. And it will get even worse if he ever learns who we truly are. He will go after our friends and families and kill them," Oliver said with pure hate in his voice, which was missed by no one. "Sending him to the zone is the best way to deal with him," he stated.

"Also if we get rid of some of the worst criminals on Earth we will earn the support of the people and that will go a long way in helping us deal with the government's problems," Kyle spoke up. "They will like the fact they won't have to fear these people ever again," he added.

"All three of you make good points, but it is still a very big risk," Dick said. "But if we do what you are suggesting we may end up being labeled as villains as well. The governments of the world could all end up united against us. What then?" he inquired.

"Risk is a part of our lives Dick, you know that," Bruce shot back. "Who cares what the government thinks of our actions as long as we save lives?" he asked.

"Kal-El, there is a down side of using the zone," Raya interrupted. "Should someone ever learn of it and locate the fortress they could open it and unleash all of the villains we exile there, as well as Zod and the others from the twenty eight galaxies who are imprisoned there," she added. "Also Brainiac is on his way here and should he gain control of the fortress he could do this as well," she reminded them.

"That is true Raya, but still I think this is a better option than trusting the justice systems to keep them locked up where they can harm no one," Clark said in reply. "I don't want to live in a world where we are constantly fighting the same villains again and again in a never ending cycle," he added with a shake of his head. "We would never know any real peace, especially if we want to settle down and start families," he went on, frowning as he sat down.

The others all looked between themselves and nodded as they realized that was true. If they allowed the villains to be sent to a normal prison than they would escape or they would be released through bribery and corruption and they would be forced to deal with them again and again just as Clark had said.

None of them wanted to fight forever no matter what, they all had plans to stop eventually and settle down to a quite life, even Bruce had come to realize he couldn't do this forever and since learning about the family he had lost in the future he too wanted a time to come when it was time to retire. Diana and Donna also agreed with what Clark had said, thinking that the more dangerous men and women who were separated from the world the better it would be for the people who lived in it. Martha and Jonathan were conflicted in this, but kept it to themselves as it was not their lives that were at risk or their futures which were decided right now even though they were involved.

Finally they all agreed that if they managed to stop Lex and his allies they would banish them to the zone and deal with the repercussions as they came. Clark knew he was taking a dangerous path, but this time he didn't intend to live a life of service and he did not intend for his friends to do the same. They would deal with Lex, his allies and the other major villains as they came and finally when the world was safer they would retire, only coming out when it was truly necessary. Maybe without so many insane and dangerous criminals in the world it would begin to change and become a much better place.

+T+

(Madrid, Spain)

Lex and Jason waited in the location they had been told to be to receive the second stone, along with the money they wanted for it. Both were curious what this man would look like and if his face would give them any clues as to what this other faction was made up of. A noise from behind them made them quickly turn around to find a tall rough looking man standing behind them holding a lead case which looked similar to the one which had housed the first stone.

"Do you have the money?" the man asked with a clear accent which seemed to indicate he was from Italy or somewhere close by.

"We do," Lex replied, moving forward alert for any signs of a trap. "And the stone?" he asked in reply, unable to believe he was about to possess two of the Stones of Power.

"Of course I do," the man replied with a smirk, opening the lead case to show a darker stone with another of the Kawatche Cave symbols in the centre, this one different than the first. "The last stone is in Japan, taken there by my former leader. He hid it at these coordinates when the group broke apart," he added, handing a piece of paper with the location of the third stone before they made the exchange.

"What about this leader of yours? Is he still in Japan guarding the stone?" Jason inquired, wondering how he was going to steal the stones from Lex once they had all three without being killed, which he was sure Lex was planning to do once this was done.

"I think he is currently looking for a way to recover the other two stones by recruiting a new group," the man said. "If he is there I'm sure you can deal with him," he added. "Now I'm going I have what I want. I only joined this group to get money," he continued before turning and running out of the building leaving Lex and Jason to look at the stone they had just acquired.

"We are so close to having all three now," Jason said. "I almost don't believe it," he added with a shake of his head.

"I just don't trust how easy this has been going," Lex stated with a frown. "I think we will find getting the third stone more troublesome," he added. "We will have to be careful and not rush in," he warned him.

"Agreed," Jason said with a nod, unable to fault Lex's logic.

Lex frowned some more before heading back to his car, wishing he could dispose of Jason right now, but until he could deal with his mother, he couldn't. Then he came up with an idea of getting Bane and Joker to kill Genevieve Teague so he could deal with Jason and remove him from the competition. This thought caused him to smirk before he quickly stopped just in case Jason saw him and became suspicious.

+T+

(Fortress of Solitude)

The discussion on how to stop Lex and his allies continued with idea's coming from everyone present. The best ones were put to one side so they could explore them better and the others were pushed aside only to be considered if everything else failed. Clark knew it would take a bit of time to come up with a descent attack plan, but he was certain they would find something that would help them stop Lex and quickly as they didn't have too much time before the black ship arrived.  
18\. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

(Lex's Limo)

Lex smiled as he placed his mobile back in his pocket, pleased he put his plan to kill Genevieve Teague into motion and once she was dead he could deal with Jason and remove from the competition concerning Lana. He knew Edward Teague was dead having gone missing at the beginning of the year and a body was found a month later. It had been reported as being his and so he knew once Genevieve was gone there was nothing to fear from killing Jason.

Jason exited the motel and walked towards the Limo. He had pretended to need the toilet so he could call and report to his mother who had ordered him to kill Lex once they had collected all three stones before he could do the same to him. Jason had urged his mother to be careful as he had begun to feel uneasy in Lex's presence and his darkening personality, but his mother had just laughed and told him nothing could get past her security, causing him to just shake his head in annoyance. He got back into the Limo and tried to think of a way of killing Lex as quickly as possible, just as Lex was thinking the same thing about him.

+T+

(Fortress of Solitude)

Raya watched Kal-El carefully as the discussion continued between the League members. He seemed tired and kept frowning as if he was trying to remember something very important. She looked to where Lana sat next to Diana and noted they were watching him as well as he sat now in a corner of the room isolated.

He had been like that for the last hour ever since Bruce had begun the topic of going through the battles fought by the League in the future war to come. She had watched him slip from the here and now to the memories and emotions of his future self. Lost in the terror of the man he had been, lost in a sea of darkness. There was nothing they could do right now for him as his presence was necessary at this conference. He was the driving force of this team. Lana finally moved to his side, joined a second later by Diana and began to bring him back into the present.

She looked around and noted no one was paying attention as they had all been made aware of the fact Kal-El could be overcome by his memories at any time. She moved over also to see how he was doing and was wondering what new horrors he had recalled from the war. Her idea of enlisting Diana to help them keep Kal-El in line was working well, but it was increasing the emotional attachment between the two. Both she and Lana had noted how comfortable Kal-El was with Diana and how she was beginning to trust him and enjoy his company as well. They were unsure how close the two would become, but they had agreed not to get in the way if they decided to get closer as long as Diana understood she would have to agree to share him with them.

"If we fail to stop Luthor can we expect to fight these same battles?" Bart inquired, silencing everyone and bringing everyone's attention back onto topic.

"Maybe not these precise battles, but something like them. We can expect to fight the same people who were in the future war," Bruce responded to the younger man. "From what Clark has told us and from what we have found out, Lex is recruiting the same people he did in the future," he added.

"So if we can come up with some tactics in dealing with specific people we may help keep the battles to be short and under control," Oliver said while pacing a little

"I think that would help us a lot," Jade spoke up. "Bruce has files on some of these people, right? Considering you've fought them before?" she asked.

"I do and I will copy them so you can all have a look at them," Bruce agreed. "Kyle can prepare us for meeting Sinestro, considering their powers are much the same. For the others I hope Ra can find out as much as he can about them, even those Lex has not contacted yet," he added to which Ra nodded his head in agreement. "The more Intel we have, the better prepared we are to fight," he advised the group.

"Clark, how bad are things going to get, if we do fail to stop Luthor getting control of his army?" Helena inquired, turning to the man who had started all this.

"It will get very bad very quickly Helena," Clark said, shaking off the darkness of his future self. "If he gets the army the war will start for sure all over again and we'll be forced to fight it all over again and hundreds if not thousands will die in result," he added.

"Then we better step up our preparations to strike," Arthur said, not wanting any of what he had heard to happen.

The others all nodded at this and the talk swung to this quickly and Clark pushed himself to focus on this instead of his memories of the future war to come. He knew the group here was new and most were not used to working together, but he was sure they could do the job and help him make a better future.

+T+

(Lex's Jet)

Lex leaned back in his seat as he read the report on his laptop from his top scientist, who was reporting that they had finished creating three hundred bullets coated with meteor rock casings. He smiled and was very pleased by this result as it moved his own plans forward and also brought him one step closer to getting Lana all to himself as he was sure once Clark was out of the way she would fall for him, as he used her grief to get close to her.

"Anything new?" Jason asked, breaking into his thoughts.

"Some reports, I had some people do some checking around the area the man told us the last stone was at, but they could see no sign of any traps or people watching," he lied as he signed off and closed the laptop facing his companion.

"Doesn't mean they aren't there or that there will be no traps once we arrive," Jason shot back, getting more and more nervous as they went.

"I am aware of that Jason, believe me," Lex replied, tired of the man, but knowing until his mother was dead he couldn't do anything to get rid of the man. "We will be very careful," he said. "I suggest you get some rest, we won't be there for a while," he added as he stretched out and closed his eyes intent on getting some sleep himself.

Jason stared at the man, thinking this could be a good opportunity to kill him once he was asleep, but then he shook his head as he knew one of Lex's guards was in the plane as well and would be coming in to check on his boss so he sat back and tried to relax.

+T+

(New York)

The Joker and Bane looked around the area where the Teague mansion lay and were looking for an easy entrance. They wanted to get this job done so they could get back to more fun things like tracking down Batman and his allies so they could be removed from their plans.

They were still unsure about how this alliance would work, but if it did go badly they would both leave Luthor to face the blame and they would slip away back to Gotham. However if they should succeed then they would continue to support him until such a time when it suited them to remove him from power and take the leadership themselves. Both knew the other to be cold, ruthless and deadly so they trusted the other not to slip up and get them caught as they prepared to kill Genevieve Teague and most likely a lot of her bodyguards.

Finally they found a way underneath the fence through the sewers and back up into the main backyard. Now they waited until night would fall when the element of fear would help them the most. Joker laughed at what he was going to do to his target, even as he dreamed of doing them same thing to Batman one day, while Bane just sat and waited quietly.

+T+

(Fortress of Solitude)

"We've made a lot of progress today, but I think we all need a break," Clark said.

They had been at this for most of the day and he could see a few people looked tired and others looked a little frustrated, maybe because they were not ready to move just yet. He wanted to strike and get this out of the way as well, but they had to do it carefully or all would blow up in their faces and people would die.

"I think you're right," Dax-Ur said. "We've got a lot laid down here, but we need clear heads if we are going to be successful in our endeavor," he added.

"We'll break up for today and reconvene tomorrow," Bruce said also feeling a little tired after hours of planning and talking.

"Before you go," Clark said as he super sped to the control console and began pressing certain crystals and soon he was holding nine small crystals which he handed to the League members. "When you are ready to come here hold onto the crystal and speak out the word League and it will transport you here so we can save you the trip and keep our connection hidden from Lex. It is based on the same tech as Dax-Ur's homing beacon," he added. "It will also take you back to your respective homes or bases, all you have to do is say where," he pointed out.

"Cool," Bart said with a grin as he looked the crystal over, as did some of the others. "So what time should we meet tomorrow?" he asked.

"How about ten?" Lana replied, fighting a yawn hoping for a chance to rest and continue her lessons in magic with Isobel.

"Sounds good," Arthur said with a nod which was soon agreed by the others and slowly they vanished as they all spoke into their crystals.

"Well that spares us the task of hiding our meetings from Lex every time we want to come together to plan anything," Chloe said with a smile.

"Kal-El I should go and check on Luthor and Teague. They will soon arrive in Japan to find the last of the forged crystals," J'onn said to which Clark nodded in agreement and the Martian quickly took off, leaving a red blur behind them.

"I am still uneasy about working with him," Kara said with a shiver as she remembered being forced to leave her home on Krypton by the Martian, even though she now knew why it had happened.

Learning her father had been in league with General Zod had been heartbreaking. She had long known her father and uncle didn't get on, but she never would have suspected he would ally himself with their planets worst traitor and help destroy their world.

Meeting her cousin had been a fun experience, somewhat tense when he explained the full truth to her, but now that she had her memories intact she knew he was someone she could trust which is why she had handed over the blue crystal her father had given her. But it would still take time for her to get used to the changes in her life, especially working with J'onn and thinking of Earth as home.

"I know Kara," Clark said. "But in time I'm sure you will become friends. My father trusted him a lot and he is good at what he does," he added. "And remember he is like us an exile from his home which is gone, his people are all but gone," he gently reminded the others.

Kara nodded in agreement to that and that thought hurt as she thought of Krypton and their people all but gone now as well, it was so hard to believe that their home was gone. She shivered and wished Lara was one of the survivors as she always had a reassuring way about her which could always ease her and make her feel safe.

"I think we should head back and prepare dinner," Martha said, pleased to see Clark's plans seemed to be working.

"We'll be along shortly mum," Clark said. "I just want to add some of the tech I think will make these suits more useful to us," he continued as he moved back to the control console and began working, once again joined a few seconds later by Dax-Ur and Raya who he began discussing his ideas with, while Martha and Jonathan headed back to the house with their own crystals. Lana sat back down and watched and Chloe and Lionel discussed what had happened so far.  
19\. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

(Gotham City, Batcave)

Bruce sat down and began to copy his files so he could give them to the others at the next meeting. He smiled as Talia took a seat beside him, having decided to stay the night with him and continue to build up their new relationship, while Ra had headed straight back to his base to see what he could find out on the other members of Lex's syndicate future members. Dick and Helena had also gone straight back home to rest up and think over what had been discussed so far. He had to admit he had been impressed by the people he had just met and it gave him hope that they could indeed stop the war from coming and hope was not something he usually felt.

"Master Bruce, would you like some dinner?" Alfred asked as he entered the Batcave.

"Yes please Alfred and some for Talia as well if you don't mind," Bruce responded as he got up and headed to the changing room so he could get out of his suit.

"Of course," Alfred said with a nod and a small smile at the woman who was changing his charge for the better before heading back up into the mansion to prepare their meal.

"So what did you think of Clark's allies, Bruce?" Talia asked as she relaxed into her chair.

"I think they are good people and they maybe exactly what is needed to stop what Clark showed us will happen. They were cool under pressure and some of them were very smart," Bruce replied as he changed. "I knew they were people out there who did the same job I did, but I never thought of allying with them to stop people like the Joker and now I regret that. It makes me wonder what we could have done already," he added as he finally came back out, dressed in jeans and a simple back shirt. He set his computer to continue to work, before he led Talia up to the mansion.

"Do you think our chances and getting rid of Joker and the others are good?" she asked as they rode the elevator up.

"Yes, but some of them will escape capture, they always do," Bruce responded and he kissed Talia gently, which was something they were both getting used to. "I think Clark's idea of banishing them to that Zone he mentioned is the best bet of ever gaining an upper hand and finding some peace for us in the future," he added.

"Jade and Oliver were right though, that will cause us a lot of trouble with the governments of the world," Talia pointed out, liking the fact that Bruce was talking about peace in the future for them.

She knew he was committed to protecting Gotham and now the world, but she had always dreamed of him retiring one day and them raising a family. However slim the chance of that dream becoming true was, but now he was talking as if he wanted such a future as well and that made her feel very warm inside.

"They can complain all they want Talia, in the end it's the people that matter, especially those to come," Bruce replied as they exited the elevator and headed for the dining room.

+T+

(Kent Farm)

Martha was just finishing preparing lunch when Clark and the others returned. They were dressed in normal clothes once again and she wondered where their special suits were, before concentrating on putting the food on the table smiling as Lana and Chloe began helping her.

"Your friends are very good people Clark," Jonathan said as he sat at the table. "I was impressed by their willingness to help," he added.

"They are good people dad, the best," Clark responded. "My future self trusted them with his life and one with his soul," he added, his eyes losing some of its fire as he drifted into the memories once again before shaking his head to come out of it again."It is just a shame that some of the other League members who were a part of it in the future aren't here or even active just yet," he said with a shake of his head as he and the others sat down and began to eat.

"How many members were in the League in the future Kal-El?" Raya inquired.

"There was never a set number Raya. It changed a lot, especially once the war started, but at our strongest we had thirty five members and while it may not sound like a lot you have to remember some of these people were the strongest people alive on this planet. We had allies from the normal governments as well, but they were not so effective against people like Deathstroke or Bane," he explained.

"And how many were left before you sent the message containing your memories here?" Chloe couldn't help but ask, noticing the dark look that entered her friends' eyes as she asked her question.

"There were only ten of us left, along with what was left of the resistance from the other governments and people. It was a lost cause, but we knew it was better to go out on our feet than kneel to Luthor and his army," Clark said in response. "The world by that point was nothing but a wasteland. There was nowhere the war hadn't touched it. Can you imagine that?" he asked.

The others bar Raya, Lionel and Kara shook their heads in response to his question. Horrified by the very idea of their world coming to such a state due to one man's lust for power, they could never have believed that Lex could bring about such a thing when they met him and now they would never be able to see him in a different light again.

+T+

(New York)

Bane broke the neck of the guard he had just jumped as the Joker brought down the next one with some kind of gas he released from a tube he had in his pocket. The guard began to spasm hard and would have screamed had the Joker not placed his hand over his mouth to keep him silent as he jerked hard one last time before going still.

"What was that? Bane asked.

"Just a surprise I hope to one day use on Batman, only I hope to make sure that it lasts longer on him," Joker replied with a smirk. "Now let us find our target," he added as they entered the mansion. Having not had much of a challenge now that night had fallen, he was a bit bored. The guards were not well equipped for seeing in the dark which made it easy for them to sneak up on them.

They continued to take down the guards as they went on, making sure none of them got off a warning before they heard a woman's voice in one of the rooms up ahead. They both smiled as they realized they had found their target.

Genevieve Teague was just finishing her call to one of her contacts who was watching her son when the door to her room was violently broken open and two men entered. She frowned as one of them looked like the criminal Joker. He smiled at her, which caused a dose of fear to shoot down her spine and she backed up.

"Who are you what do you want?" she demanded to know, wondering where her guards were.

"Lex Luthor sends his regards," Bane said, as he pulled a gun out and before Genevieve could try and barging with them he put two bullets in her chest, killing her instantly.

"Well that was no fun," Joker complained. "Oh well we did the job. Now let us make it seem as if one of her own guards did this," he added. "Luthor wanted no ties to any of us," he reminded his partner who nodded his head as he pulled his mobile out and contacted Lex.

+T+

(Lex's jet)

Lex smiled as he listened to Bane's report and looked over to where Jason sat and was watching as the jet came in to land in Japan with no idea that his mother and the reason he had been safe so far was now gone. He would allow Jason to see them collect the last stone, before removing him from the competition.

"Good work, your pay has already been placed into your accounts," he said before hanging up. He leaned back into his seat and was pleased with how his new allies had succeeded.

"Good News?" Jason asked, as he turned to look at Lex and felt a chill sweep down his neck at the look in the other man's eyes.

"Indeed," was all Lex would say as the jet came in for landing and they both turned their thoughts to what might be protecting the last stone.  
20\. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

(Kent Farm)

Clark bolted upright from the nightmare he just had. He breathed deeply and wiped the sweat from his face. He shivered as he recalled the horrors of the war in the future. Talking about it to the others had brought it all back to the surface and made him remember more of the battles his future self had fought.

He looked down and noted Lana was still asleep before getting up and quickly going to the bathroom before heading for the kitchen and making himself some coffee. They were at a crossroads right now and he knew that soon the fighting would break out once more, only this time the stakes would be higher than ever before. He would be willing to do anything he had to stop the madness his future self had seen, but he didn't know if it would be enough, even with everything he had done and the worst thing was that the black ship containing Brainiac and the two followers of Zod were getting closer.

He closed his eyes and wished the time ripple had wiped out the future before Brainiac could interfere in the Leagues last gamble, but he knew it was a waste of time. He almost winced as he again saw the deaths of his friends and loved ones and each one caused him more pain than he had ever felt before. He collapsed to his knees just as Raya entered the kitchen. Raya quickly walked over and knelt next to Kal-El, noting the pain in his eyes and she understood he was overwhelmed by his future memories again. She did the only thing she could think off and kissed him as hard as she could, hoping to drown out the memories by creating newer more positive ones.

The kiss quickly became deeper as they lost themselves in the new sensations they were creating. Clark's hands worked themselves under Raya's t-shirt she was using to sleep in, causing her to moan in response as they got more and more lost in each other. A cough from behind them caused them to break apart and turn to find Lana behind them with a curious look on her face

"Sorry Lana, we kinda got lost in each other after I had a nightmare and was overwhelmed by my future memories again," Clark apologized, although a part of him was not too angry about what had just happened as it left him feeling very happy instead of depressed as he had been.

"I am not angry Clark. I suspected this might happen after I agreed to share you," Lana replied and she was truthful with him, she wasn't angry, after having come to terms with this possibility after a few talks with Isobel. "Was the nightmare really that bad?" she asked as she led them both back to their bedroom, being as quite as they could so they would not wake Martha and Jonathan.

"Yes, the talk tonight brought back a lot of things I seemed to have blocked out," Clark replied as he was pushed back onto the bed by Lana and Raya. "I saw more of the battles we fought and I saw the deaths of you and the others more clearly than ever. I just want this done with as quickly as we can, but I know we can't rush it," he continued placing his head in his hands and sighed.

"No Kal-El, we cannot rush this," Raya agreed, taking on one off his hands in hers, while Lana took the other. "To do so would be to invite failure and may bring about harm to those you are trying so hard to protect. Moving slowly is the best option we have at the moment," she told him gently. "You must fight to stay in control of yourself until this is over and we can remove the memories from you, but until that time you have to be strong," she added leaning her head against his.

"Raya is right Clark. We need you to be strong until this is over and Lex and his followers are dealt with," Lana said from the other side. "Moving slowly may be hard, but if we rush in we could get hurt or worse killed and that is not something we want at all. We are close to making our move, but we cannot jump the mark until everything is ready," she added, leaned in and kissed him gently.

Clark sighed as he began to relax as the two girls he loved talked him through his distress. This may never have been in his future self's original plan, but he was not going to complain at how things were turning out in his personal life right now as he returned Lana's kiss. Soon all three lost themselves in each other as they erased the nightmares and memories that were troubling Clark. Raya and Lana worked in tandem to draw out Clark's more passionate side, neither been bothered by the presence of the other, although Lana had to be calmed a little by Isobel at the start. The kissing and groping continued for another half hour before all three succumbed to sleep with Raya and Lana curling up against Clark who went back to sleep with much more pleasant things to dream about.

+T+

(Gotham City, Batcave under Wayne Manor)

Bruce Wayne went over the files he was preparing for the League members, making sure they were all up to date. He was also gathering files on those who he knew thanks to his future self's personal message may end up involved in this if they could not stop the war from starting at all. The more information everyone had the better off they would all be if it came to war. He paused as the phone next to him went off and he picked it up and listened as Alfred reported that both Talia and her father had turned up with some important information. He smiled and told his friend to send them down. Talia had only left a few hours ago but he missed her all the same.

"We have bad news detective," Ra said as he came into view.

Bruce wondered what had gone wrong now, even as he returned the hug and kiss Talia gave him.

"What is it Ra?" he inquired. "What has happened?" he added.

"Genevieve Teague was murdered less than an hour ago. Her body was found with three bullets in it. From what has been reported it looks like one of her own guards did it. But if we consider what we know I found this hard to believe," Ra reported as he handed over what information he had managed to get from his sources in so short a time.

"Damn, things are picking up even faster than Clark feared," Bruce cursed as he read over the reports before pausing as he noted the looks Ra and Talia exchanged. "What else is wrong?" he asked.

"Nyssa has surfaced finally and she is with Luthor's other thugs," Ra admitted with a sigh, wishing he had not allowed his second daughter to become so corrupted before he realized his old ways were not the best ways for the world. "Her presence ups the stakes for us greatly," he added.

Bruce was not surprised by the sudden surge of anger he felt as he heard Ra's reply as he remembered his future self's message stating Nysssa had helped Joker kill Talia and their unborn child in the future and now events seemed to be playing out once again. This time he swore no harm would come to Talia, even if it cost him his own life. He turned and headed for his desk and picked up his phone and rang Clark's number, waiting only a few seconds before it was picked up.

"Clark listen Genevieve Teague is dead, most likely killed on Luthor's orders and Nyssa has also joined up with him. We have to start planning to cut their numbers down instead of reacting," he told his new friend, before listening to the response. "Yes, I know we can't rush it, but still we can't stay on the bench anymore. We'll be there tomorrow at twelve o clock, goodnight Clark," he added as he agreed on their next League meeting before turning back to his guests. "Clark has set a meeting for twelve tomorrow to start planning some attacks. You are welcome to stay here tonight," he told them.

"Thank you detective, I am quite tired," Ra said with a nod and followed Alfred up while Talia lingered and followed Bruce to his own room knowing he was concerned by Nyssa's presence in Luthor's army.

+T+

(Kent Farm)

Clark looked at his phone for a few moments as Lana and Raya watched him and waited for him to speak, they were both concerned how badly the memories and emotions were beginning to affect him, although they seemed to be able to help him regain control for which they were thankful, but each time something happened along the line of his future memories it worsened his control.

"Jason's mother was murdered tonight and Bruce thinks it is highly likely she was killed on Lex's order," Clark stated tiredly. "Lana do you still have Jason's number?" he asked.

"Yes I do, but he won't listen," Lana replied, even as she reached for her phone and brought up the number.

"I think he will, Lana. He isn't stupid and he knows how dangerous Lex can be," Clark responded with a tight smile. "He'll take the warning to heart and hopefully run. If he does it might keep Lex distracted while searching for him for a while, while we plan our attacks on his organization," he explained his reasoning for his belief.

"If Luthor is behind this murder it means there is nothing left of your former friend and there is no way of redeeming him Kal-El," Raya said as she sat up on his left side.

"I know Raya," Clark admitted. "I gave up any chance of that once I received my future self's memories. All this does is confirm he is once again my deadliest enemy and has to be stopped at all costs," he added with determination before dialing Jason's number.

+T+

(Hotel, Japan)

Jason jerked awake as his mobile went off and he cursed wondering who it was. He didn't recognize the number, but it had to be someone he knew or maybe someone his mother knew. "Hello?" he said, while rubbing his eyes as he sat up and turned on the bedside lamp.

He listened as the familiar voice of Clark Kent came back and while he was instantly filled with anger at hearing the voice of the man who had taken Lana from him he soon pushed it aside as he listened to what the man was saying. At first he wanted to push it aside as some kind of sick joke, but he knew Clark was not that kind of person and he seemed very concerned by this twist in what he believed to be a power play for the stones he was after.

He swallowed hard as he knew Clark was correct in that Lex had become much darker than he had been a week ago and considering some of his comments lately he began to believe Clark was right and Lex had his mother killed, so that he could be removed as well once they had recovered the last stone without fearing any retaliation. He banged his head against the headboard as he listened to Clark tell him to get out and head to a church in Spain where he would find someone who could help him, although he wouldn't say who or how he knew this before hanging up.

He stood up and quickly got dressed. While he no longer liked Clark he did trust him to know a bad thing when he saw it and Lex was real bad, which is why Clark and Lana had distanced themselves from the man. He also owed Clark for saving his life back when he was still employed by Smallville High and so he decided now was the time for a little trust. He crept out of the room, making sure not to make any noise that could wake Lex or his bodyguard before legging it and throwing away his phone so he could not be tracked as Clark had pointed out to him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 21

 

(Kent Farm)

Clark actually felt a little better having hopefully saved Jason Teague's life. He knew from his future memories that Jason had died in the second meteor shower at the end of this year after taking his parents hostage while trying to find the stones as he had been ordered by his mother, not realizing she had been killed by Isobel. If he could prevent the young man's death and maybe reunite him with his father it was something done right. Maybe together the two Teagues could save each other from their destructive paths even if Edward Teague was following a path he believed would help him.

He put his phone away, kissed both Lana and Raya before settling back down smiling a little as Lana and Raya cuddled into him. Changing the past was harder than his future self had envisioned, but it was possible. Lana reached up and kissed him again and he began to lose himself in the sensations until she pulled away and Raya took over. It seemed like both women wanted to strengthen their relationships with him and he didn't mind in the least.

+T+

(Fortress of Solitude)

Dax-Ur wiped tiredly over his eyes as he continued to work on a program to shut down and wipe Brainiac's system, so that he could be reprogrammed to be a source of help in the coming struggles. It wasn't an easy task because Brainiac was the pinnacle of Kryptonian technology and he had to complete this before the black ship arrived. He sighed as he checked the status of the ship and noted it was still three days away. He again wondered why it was moving so slowly and the only reason he could come up with was it was assimilating all the data from its future counterpart before the time ripple wiped that future out altogether.

If this was why it was moving so slowly then it meant Brainiac would be even more dangerous than before, as it would know exactly what Kal-El and his friends were attempting to do and how to stop them and maybe making things even worse than they had been in the original time line, which was a chilling thought.

"Dax-Ur, you need rest," Jor-El spoke from the control console as his avatar was back at the mansion right now under the control of Lionel Luthor. "We still have plenty of time to counter Brainiac, but you will do no one any good if you collapse having worked yourself to hard," he continued. "I can understand your desire to finish this old friend, but this is not the way to change things for the better. Go home spend time with your family and return refreshed tomorrow," he advised.

"You are correct Jor-El," Dax-Ur admitted yawning. "I just do not want to see the same destruction visited on Earth as we saw on Krypton," he added as he saved his progress before getting ready to leave.

"I understand Dax-Ur, I truly do," Jor-El told him. "This planet has become a home to what is left of our people, even more so to Kal-El, as he was raised here and for you as well as half of your life was spent here," he continued. "If we fail to protect it from what could be, then the lessons we learned on Krypton would have been wasted and more innocent lives will have been spent for nothing," he sighed.

"That is truly a terrible thought," Dax-Ur said. "I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I had never left our world to come here, but somehow I doubt I could have stopped its destruction," he admitted, running a hand through his graying hair.

"If the council had not been so blind to Zod's evil then we could have saved Krypton and our people, but sadly they did not wish to see the truth until things were already rushing to their destructive conclusion and we didn't uncover Zor-El's traitorous actions until it was too late," Jor-El stated. "To think one of the El's could be so evil greatly saddens me, even more so that it was my own brother. At least Kara has none of his evil in her and is true to the El name," he added.

"I have noticed Kal-El treats her more like a sister than a cousin," Dax-Ur pointed out with a smile. "And since we recovered her, he has been more easy going and less stressed out," he said.

"I have noticed this and having seen the memories from Kal-El's future self I can understand his reactions and to be honest Lara always thought of Kara as her own no matter what. I could not begrudge her this, as I too had a soft spot for her which I am sad to say my future self seemed to have forgotten when we learned of her presence on Earth in the future," Jor-El agreed. "They are the last two children of the house of El and hopefully they will help bring our people back from the brink of extinction," he added hopefully.

"How though, there is only four of us and I am too old to father any more children and even if I was not I could not do it with Kara. She is too young for me," Dax-Ur said.

"One of the biggest secrets Kal-El holds is the fact a part of our world still exists. The city of Kandor survived along with its entire population. It is encased in a huge protective dome which helped it survive the breakup of our world," Jor-El admitted. "In the future Kara traveled to the stars, after having been rescued from the Phantom Zone, to see if she could find any surviving members of our race and she discovered Kandor. She could do nothing to bring it to Earth without help and so she returned only to be caught up in the war and finally being killed by Brainiac, saving the lives of millions in the process," he explained to his old friend. "She is a true daughter of the house of El," Jor-El said proudly.

"This is truly amazing," Dax-Ur said amazed. "I take it the reason why he has not mentioned it, is because he needs everyone focused on the threat at hand?" he inquired, feeling more alive than he had in years bar where it came to his family. The destruction of his world had waged heavily on him for years and to now know a large piece of it survived brought him great joy.

"That is exactly the reason he had withheld this information and I would ask you to keep it until Luthor and his followers have been dealt with. We need everyone focused and ready to act," Jor-El requested.

"You have my word Jor-El," Dax-Ur agreed with a nod. "Have a good night," he added before he turned and super sped out of the fortress wishing to feel wind as he thought of seeing Kandor intact once Luthor, Brainiac and the rest had been dealt with."

Jor-El knew Dax-Ur wouldn't break his promise and so was content to reveal that information and it would do the old scientist well to know their world was not entirely gone and neither were their people. Of course once Kandor was located and brought into Earth's orbit Kal-El would have to learn how to be master of the house of El. That would be a challenge in on itself, but an amusing one he thought before he went back to monitoring the black ship and processing new equipment the fortress factories could build for the future.

+T+

(Hotel, Japan Next day)

Lex woke from a rather nice and restful sleep where he had dreamed of being the ruler of the whole world with every one of his enemies dead and buried and Lana ruling by his side. He smiled almost insanely at the mere thought of it coming true before getting up to prepare for the day. After a relaxing shower and shave he went to see if Jason was up yet nodding at his bodyguard as he exited his room. After knocking and getting no response he ordered his guard in and followed a few moments later to find the room deserted.

He cursed loudly, wondering what Teague was up to and why he had chosen now to run away before pausing and wondering if he was going to try and get the final stone on his own and use it as some kind of bargaining chip to get the two he now processed. He looked around for Jason's phone, but noted it was missing which meant he might be able to track him. He pulled his phone out and dialed one of his people to trace the phone as he left the room and looked around the surrounding area. His phone soon went off and he took it and was surprised to find Jason's phone was only a few hundred feet from where he was standing. He headed over and soon found it.

He picked it up and looked at the recent calls it had received and was angered when he recognized Clark's number. Suddenly everything became a little clearer to him why Jason had run. Clark must have heard about Genevieve Teague being killed and called Jason who would believe he or his father had done it to get rid of her so she would not be a problem once they had all the stones. He cursed Clark before deciding to put one of his more dangerous plans into motion.

"Jackson I want the plan we discussed to be set up for ten. I want Lana Lang kidnapped and Kent out of the picture and use the special bullets I had made," he ordered after phoning one of his better security guards and smiled as the man replied.

He was unsure where the idea for the new bullets had come from, but he knew they would help him secure Lana and hopefully remove Clark from the game for the foreseeable future. A week ago he would not have gone with such a risky plan, but now he felt nothing for Clark but anger and hatred for always being in his way. He turned and headed for his Limo as he had a meeting to get too and the last stone of power to get a hold of. He could have some of his new allies track Teague down and finish him off he decided.

+T+

(Kent Farm)

Clark smiled as he cooked breakfast for the family having woken up surprisingly refreshed and happy and he guessed it was because of Lana and Raya. Sharing the same bed together had been a new experience and one he knew his father wouldn't exactly approve off, but what he didn't know couldn't hurt him he thought. They had done some pretty heavy snogging and groping until finally falling into a deep sleep. He was surprised by Lana's lack of fear in letting Raya get so close to him and vice versa, but he guessed she loved him enough to really share him as well as take whatever Isobel had taught her into account.

He looked up as first Raya and Lana came down before being joined by his parents and Chloe who had again stayed for the night. He quickly began setting out the food when the front door was blown of its hinches, surprising them all before ten men dressed in SWAT uniforms stormed into the hours and opened fired before Clark could even react. He screamed in pain and surprise as he was hit three times, once in the chest, once in the shoulder and once in the arm before he fell. Raya was hit twice in the shoulder while the others just managed to jump into cover as they had been on the other side of the kitchen at the time.

Lana's eyes flashed purple as Isobel quickly assumed control as she knew Lana was in too much shock to act before standing and unleashing her powers sending three of the men flying back out of the door and one through the nearby window. She stumbled as she was hit by something. She looked down and noted a dart sticking out of her, which increased her anger and she again lashed out with her powers while also sending the knives on the table flying at them. Two more men were flung aside while the knives hit two more in the chest sending them sprawling to the ground in pain.

The last two men dived for cover before shooting more darts at their target, which Isobel managed to deflect although she stumbled a bit as the drugs from the first dart began to take effect. She knew whatever those bullets contained had actually wounded Raya and Clark and this thankfully fueled her rage and she lashed out again as one of the men broke cover to fire and was flung back into the wall knocking him unconscious before she turned and just managed to drop the last man as he fired, catching her in the side.

She stumbled backwards and Martha finally made it to the phone to call the sheriff and Jonathan reached for his shotgun, while telling Chloe to get some ropes. They tied all the men up and removed their weapons before rushing to check on Raya and Clark who were both bleeding and unconscious, while Isobel began to purge Lana's body of the drugs in her system even as she felt Lana's desire to check on Clark and Raya, but it was important she was not rendered unconscious in case more attackers arrived.  
22\. Chapter 22

(Japan Airport)

Jason kept a close look around for any of Luthor's men or Lex himself as he booked a ticket to Spain, hoping Clark was right that there was someone who could help him, although what he would be doing in a church made him curious until he came upon the idea he could be hiding. 

He was tired, but determined to get out of this country before Lex got the final stone and turned back to finding him, so that he could remove him permanently. He vowed that he would get even with Lex if he had any connection to his mother's death. He paused as his thoughts turned to his mother and while he was upset about her death he found he was not devastated. He realized he was free from her manipulations now and could do whatever he wanted and what he wanted was the power to get his revenge and that meant somehow getting a hold of the stones of power.

Ten miles away Lex was in his Limo heading for the final location of the stones, wondering what would happen when he arrived and if this supposed leader of the now broken third party would try and stop him from getting his hands on it. He decided once he had his hands on the stones he would track down Jason and remove him once and for all from the equation so he did not have to fear any reprisals. He pulled his phone out as it rung and listened as Jackson reported they had lost contact with the men they had sent to kidnap Lana and remove Clark.

He frowned at this news before telling Jackson to keep an eye on the situation, but not to act until he found out what had happened to their men and he came up with a new plan. He was not surprised by this news as he knew Clark could be very tricky when he wanted to be, as had been proven in the years he had known him many times and this just added to the mystery of what his former friend was hiding. ‘How did he take down ten heavily armed men?' he asked himself.

"Mr. Luthor, we are nearing the location you gave me," his driver's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "It looks crowded sir," he added.

Lex looked out the window and noted it was indeed crowded with people and he wondered what the hell was going on. Anyone of these people could be a part of this third party. According to the man who had sold him the second stone the leader had been trying to rebuild his organization.

"Park out front and then Jenson can have a look around. Make sure you pay close attention to the people around you Jenson," Lex ordered as he turned to his bodyguard who nodded his head in understanding.

J'onn watched from across the street as Luthor finally arrived and he knew he would have to be careful how he played this. So far the plan to distract Lex with the fake stones had been going well, but things were heating up. The call he had gotten a few seconds ago had confirmed that and he wanted to get this over with so he could check in and see if Kal-El and Raya were alright.

+T+

(Kent Farm)

Jonathan Kent watched as the sheriff and her men finally arrived and he stepped outside with his shotgun still in hand. Isobel was off to the side still in control of Lana just in case some more of Luthor's men attacked. Watching her interrogate the men had been a frightening experience and it reminded him how dangerous she and Kal could be if they ever lost control and he knew there was a chance once Clark put on the red kryptonite ring that Kal might decided to strike out in revenge for this. He and Raya had been taken to the fortress by Jor-El using Lionel's body and Dax-Ur after they had contacted them so they could be seen to after they had pulled out the kryptonite bullets from both. He recalled how Martha had cried out as she saw what had injured their son and one of his lovers.

"Mr. Kent?" the sheriff's call brought him out of his review and he focused on her with a tight look.

"Sheriff, thanks for coming so quickly," he responded. "These men attacked us without reason and I suspect they were sent by Lex Luthor," he added.

"And what makes you suspect that?" the sheriff inquired as she looked around the area, wondering where the Kent boy was, usually when there was trouble he was around, then she noted Miss Lang's presence as well as Miss Sullivan's who stood next to her.

"One of them talked," Jonathan replied. "They were after Lana who Lex is obsessed with. A week ago he tried to convince Lana to move in with him for her own protection with some story about how some people are after her, as well as him and his father, who he told us was attacked," he explained, frowning as he knew Lex would get out of this easily, but it may distract him until Clark and Raya were back on their feet.

"I have no report on Mr. Luthor being attacked, but I will be checking into it, let me assure you of that. If I find out this was set up by Lex Luthor I don't care whose son he is. I'll have him in a cell," the sheriff told him. "Take them all into custody," she ordered her people who nodded and began to do just that. "I'll need statements from all of you," she added.

"Of course, however my wife is lying down right now as she is in shock from the attack. I will bring her in later once she has calmed down, if that is okay?" Jonathan responded and this was not a lie, the whole thing had really shaken Martha.

"That will be fine Mr. Kent. I was just wondering where is Clark?" she replied. "Usually I can't keep him away from these kind of scenes," she added with a dry smile.

"He is in Metropolis at the moment, running an errand for me. I dread to think what would have happened had he been here, as Lex's attitude towards my son has become alarming," Jonathan replied easily.

"Oh in what way?" the sheriff asked as Mr. Kent led her inside the house and they all sat down at the table.

+T+

(Fortress of Solitude)

Bruce looked around as first Bart, then Oliver and finally the rest of the League showed up after being summoned. They were two hours earlier than expected. He was surprised to see Dax-Ur monitoring Clark and Raya who were in separate beds obviously wounded.  
"What has happened Jor-El?" he asked, noting the body of Lionel Luthor nearby.

"My son and his family were attacked today by Luthor's troops," Jor-El replied with an angry voice. "They were using bullets coated in green kryptonite which wounded both Kal-El and Raya before they could react. Jonathan Kent managed to remove the bullets, but it will take at least a day for them both to recover fully," he explained. "According to what Isobel reported the men were ordered to kidnap Lana and remove Clark," he continued.

"So Lex has knowledge on how to wound or maybe kill your people?" Bart inquired, worried by this development as he knew how sick the green rocks made Clark.

"Yes, it does indeed seem that Brainiac gave him more than we first thought before the time ripple wiped out the future this all started from," Jor-El nodded in agreement. "Kara, this means in any fight we are going to have to be more on guard just in case they have more of these bullets or even swords coated in it," he cautioned his niece.

"I understand Jor-El," Kara said, shuddering a little at the thought of been wounded with green kryptonite and yet she was very angry at her cousin being attacked. "What are we going to do in response, Uncle?" she asked.

"J'onn has checked in and reported Luthor is at the final location of the fake stones and he is obviously expecting some kind of attack, so I believe we should make sure he gets one, but no one is to try and kill him is that clear?" Jor-El answered thoughtfully.

"Why not?" Oliver asked. "Lex is a madman and he is trying to start a war we know has already destroyed the world once already so why not remove him now?" he demanded to know.

"Because he has already brought his group together and we know what he is planning. Remove him Oliver and they become more unpredictable and more dangerous, especially if someone like Bane or Joker take charge," Jor-El pointed out.

“He has got a point Oliver,” Jade spoke up. “We know what Lex is planning thanks to Clark’s foreknowledge, but if we remove Lex, who is the mastermind of this whole thing, we lose the advantage and things become even more dangerous,” she added. 

“Don’t let your own feelings for Luthor get in the way Oliver,” Diana said as she passed him to check on Kal-El. “We need to act without anger clouding our judgment,” she added.

“You’re right,” Oliver sighed as he sat down and ran a hand through his hair. He was letting his anger control him and that would not do them any good, especially with Clark and Raya who were out of action for now. He knew what anger and hate could do to a person and he had no desire to let himself been consumed by it.

“So we attack him and his guards, but allow him to get the stone,” Bruce finally spoke up. “I think we should only use three of us for this, myself, Kyle and Todd. We’ll hit them hard and then get out, but we won’t be wearing our normal costumes,” he added. 

“Actually none of you will be attacking them,” Jor-El interrupted Bruce. “I have built three kyrtonian cyborgs and placed a holographic device on them so they appear human. They will attack Luthor and his men. This should keep our presence a secret until it is necessary to expose ourselves,” he added with a smile as the cyborgs came into view. 

“Very cool,” Jade said in awe as she looked them over. “Just how advanced were the Kryptonians?” she inquired. 

“We were one of the most advanced races in the known twenty eight galaxies, but as you know we were not perfect or otherwise we wouldn’t have destroyed ourselves,” Jor-El responded with a shake of his head. 

“What else can this fortress build?” Zatanna asked, being very impressed by the cyborgs in front of them.

“Anything we require, however it does have its limits,” was all Jor-El would say on the matter. “While this is going on I believe it will benefit us if you hit two of the 33.1 labs Luthor has already put online to sow even more confusion with him,” he suggested. 

“Good idea, okay we’ll split up into two teams,” Bruce said while he nodded in agreement. “I’ll hit the lab on the outskirts of town with Kara, Diana, Jade, Nightwing and Zatanna. Kyle will hit the lab in the abandoned factory complex with Obsidian, Flash, Donna, Green Arrow and the Huntress,” Bruce laid out the plan. “I want you all to be careful as it is clear Luthor and his allies have some tricks up their selves we don’t know about yet,” he cautioned them all. “Hopefully we can pull this off without confronting any of his more dangerous allies before we are ready for them. Okay let’s get to it,” he added as he pulled his mask on before turning around and returning the deep kiss Talia gave him as she wished him luck before he and the rest of the team vanished from the fortress. 

“Do you think they will be okay?” Talia asked her father.

“The detective is more than able to look after himself Talia, as we well know and his new allies seem very capable as well,” Ra responded, even though he understood why his daughter had asked in the first place. “Yes things had happened we didn’t expect, but we still have a very big advantage,” he pointed out with a small smile. 

“Don’t be too concerned, I doubt Joker or any of Luthor’s other allies will be in the labs at this time,” Dax-Ur said as he finally came over. “They will be busy preparing the plans for the army he wants to build. That is when things will truly get dangerous if he manages to build it before we can act.” As they watched Jor-El send the cyborgs to Japan each was lost in their own thoughts. 

“Yes I agree,” Ra nodded in agreement. “Each one of the people Luthor has allied with could do great damage to the world with an army of meteor affected people or super villains with powers. The most dangerous is Luthor himself, Joker, Bane and sadly Nyssa,” he stated. “They have the scope and the resources to bring the world to its knees and if we fail to stop them, that is what will happen,” he added. 

“Bruce and Clark will die before they let that happen father,” Talia said with complete confidence. “As will the others,” she continued with a fierce look. 

“Sadly it may come to that or at least some sacrifices may be needed to stop the approaching storm,” Jor-El cautioned them all as he rejoined them with a dark look on his face. “We stand on the pre-dawn of chaos,” he added to which the others had no reply as they now began the wait for the return of their allies.  
23\. Chapter 23

(Japan) 

Lex looked around the room he was currently in, looking for any sign of the last stone of power or the person who was hiding it. His guards were close by just in case they were attacked. He stopped suddenly as a man entered with a smirk plastered on his face and three guards flanking him. Lex noted each of the men were quite tall and seemed somewhat blank in their expressions, but then to him it meant they were experienced bodyguards or killers, people he might hire if needed. 

“Welcome Lex,” J'onn said as he stopped just in front of the man, wondering how Jor-El’s creations would perform, but he didn’t doubt his old friend’s skill. 

“So we meet at last, the man who had the balls to not only attack my manor, but my father as well,” Lex mused with a confident smirk of his own. “As well as launching an attack on an airborne plane, mind telling me how you did it?” he asked. 

“Not really Luthor,” J'onn responded. “Your manor was easy to get into and your father was an exposed target which we could have killed had we wanted to, but he is an annoyance to you and so we let him live,” he added, keeping in character. 

“And what do you have against me?” Lex asked, as he sized up the man in front of him and wishing he had brought more men. 

“Everyone has something against you Lex, even your own father which everyone knows full well,” J'onn shot back, noting he was getting Lex angry. “Even the one person who did like you, Clark Kent, has finally seen the light to what you truly are, after you threw away his friendship in your obsession with the stones and his girlfriend, which we know you just tried to attack and capture,” he continued, almost smiling at Lex’s enraged face. “We keep a close watch on everyone linked to the stones and you,” he explained. 

“Clark wasn’t my friend. He was just using me,” Lex snarled in anger, clenching his fists wishing to wipe the smirk of the man’s face. “I finally saw through his lies and as for Lana I’m just trying to protect her from him,” he added as his own guards moved forward ready to fight, so their boss could escape from what was obviously a dangerous situation. 

“I don’t know what is more pathetic Luthor,” J'onn baited him, “that you said that or that you actually believe it,” he continued, ready to counter any attack and was not surprised when Lex screamed in rage and launched himself forward with his guards following a few seconds later. 

+T+

(Kent Farm)

Isobel watched as the sheriff continued to question them about what had happened including what had led up to this event. She knew from Lana that the sheriff was good at her job and would follow through as Martha appeared looking slightly better than she had straight after the attack. The sheriff was a bit more easy with her questions to Martha, not that she was too surprised, but she was beginning to get a little annoyed with how long this was taking and she could tell Lana wanted nothing more than to see how Clark and Raya were, but they couldn’t just leave.

“I think that is enough for now Mr. and Mrs. Kent,” the sheriff finally said after a couple more questions. “I will talk to Lionel Luthor today and then, if he confirms the attack on him, I will bring Lex in for questioning when he gets back from his latest trip,” she added as she finished writing down the answers she had been given. 

“Thank you sheriff,” Jonathan said with a nod and a tired smile. “I need to get started on fixing this mess,” he continued as he looked at the broken door and window. 

“Then I will let you get to it, but I would advise you Mr. Kent that when Clark does get back you better keep him away from Lex, especially before I question him,” the sheriff stated with a stare.

“I understand sheriff and I will,” Jonathan agreed, although inwardly he had no idea how he was going to be able to do that, especially if he placed the red kryptonite ring on and became Kal as this attack will have stoked his anger, but he would try.

“Good then I will bid you goodbye and get to work. Something tells me this is going to be a big problem that won’t be easily sorted out,” she added.

“Bloody hell, what happened here Mr. Kent?” a new voice asked and they all turned to find Lois Lane standing in the broken door way. “Is everyone okay?” she added.

“We’re a little shaken up Lois, but we are okay,” Martha finally spoke up with a smile at the girl. “Please come in and sit down,” she added, noting Lois looked a little pissed off. 

“I would advise you Miss Lane against taking any action once you learn what went on here. That is my job and it goes double for your friend Clark,” she warned her before leaving. 

“What happened?” Lois asked again noting the serious looks on everyone’s faces as they heard the sheriff pull way with the last of her people.

“Lex sent a group of people to capture Lana and take Clark out,” Chloe answered with a shiver. “Clark and Raya were injured because the bullets were coated in green kryptonite, but we managed to get them out and they are now at the fortress recovering,” she explained. “Luckily for us Isobel took control of Lana and took them down hard,” she added with a small smile which everyone could tell was forced. 

“Damn,” Lois spat concerned, not that she would admit it, for Clark and his friend. She was still getting used to the fact that her friend was an alien from another world as were some of his friends. When she had been brought into this group she had at first thought it was a big joke only to see no one was laughing and then she had been shown the crystal with the memories on it which shook her to the core. Her first instinct was to go to her father and report what she had learned to him, but Clark had reminded her no one would believe what they said and all that would happen would be that they would end up locked up most likely in a nut house and Lex could go about his business without any interference.

So far she had not had much to offer them, but it was clear they could use all the help they could get. Some of the stuff she had been told would happen in the future surprised her, like becoming a reporter like her cousin always wanted to be and Clark’s partner at work to boot. Then there was the subject of having a relationship with first Arthur Curry, then Oliver Queen and finally with Kyle Rayner. It seemed she had used her position to get any dirt on Lex and his followers only to end up captured and killed four years into the war. That had really had shaken her and she had noted her death had affected Clark, while Chloe had outright cried at the news which Clark had obviously not yet told them. 

Lex had obviously now begun to move against them and she was sure the League would strike back, but with Clark and Raya out of action she wondered who would lead this fight back. 

“What are we going to do?” she finally asked breaking her train of thought. 

“First you, Chloe and Lana are going to the fortress to check on Clark and Raya, while I fix this mess,” Jonathan replied. “Then come back and help, something tells me it wouldn’t be a good thing if we all disappear right now. Also tell Lionel he needs to head home and confirm he was attacked as well as the change in Lex’s behavior when the sheriff comes to talk to him later on today,” he stated. 

“You got it Mr. Kent,” Lois said with a nod, noting Chloe came over to join her with her crystal to the fortress in her hand. 

“I should stay Jonathan Kent,” Isobel spoke up. “In case they send more men to attack you. It would be very bad for Kal-El if something happened to you,” she added. “Lana agrees with me in this, we will see Clark later,” she stated.

“Are you sure that is what Lana wants?” Martha asked. 

“It is Mrs. Kent,” Lana replied as Isobel let go of the control of her body. “If something happens to either of you Clark would lose it just as badly as if something happens to me, Raya or Diana and then we would have even bigger problems to deal with,” she continued with a shake of head. “I can wait,” she added. 

Lois and Chloe nodded and then touched the crystal and vanished, while Jonathan went to see how badly the damage to the house was. Martha went to make some tea, still shaky but getting better and Isobel resumed control of Lana in case of an attack. 

+T+

(Japan)

J'onn easily dodged the attack by Lex with a smile as the cyborgs Jor-El had made countered his bodyguards and the fight spread throughout the room. He countered with a weak punch as he knew he was not supposed to win this and Lex was supposed to end up with the last fake stone. Lex blocked his punch and lashed out with a kick to his side which he turned into and then managed to land a blow to his chest forcing him backwards before he rallied and began a combination attack which forced him back towards the door. 

“You aren’t so tough now are you?” Lex taunted him with a cruel look in his eyes as he thought of ways to make his enemy pay for daring to attack him. 

J'onn didn’t bother to respond and lashed out, catching Lex in the side and followed it up with a kick to his knees and then a right hook to his head which Lex managed to block before retaliating with a quick strike to his midriff and then a kick to his side and an attempt at his kneecap which he jumped out of the way off. Lex, J'onn decided, wasn’t a good fighter especially compared to some of the criminals he had taken down over the long years for Jor-El and he was nothing compared to a white Martian.

They began to trade blows, while Lex’s bodyguards tried to overpower their opponents, unaware they were actually cyborgs and they were not even really trying to take them down. Finally J'onn managed to land a decent blow to Lex’s face and knock him to the ground. He reached into his pocket and withdrew the fake stone. 

“Is this what you want so badly Luthor?” he taunted. “Do you really believe you are worthy of its power?” he asked stepping a little closer on purpose and Lex did not disappoint as he suddenly lashed out with an upwards palm out strike which he allowed to hit him and knock him backwards while dropping the stone. 

He watched as Lex quickly grabbed the stone and ran out of the room followed by his bodyguards who quickly broke off their fights and followed their boss. He shook his head in amusement at how easy Lex was to manipulate before ordering the cyborgs to return to the fortress, before he followed in a red streak of speed. 

Back in his limo Lex breathed a sigh of relief as they pulled away from the meeting point and drove off at top speed. He finally had the last stone of power and now he could join them together and receive their power and knowledge. He could hardly wait. ‘But first he had to find and take care of Jason or at least make him watch him achieve what he and his deceased mother had wanted so badly before killing him,’ he thought with a cruel smile as he fixed himself a drink and then reached for his phone and phoned Jackson for a report on the men he had sent to capture Lana and kill Clark.

His fist tightened on the phone as he heard they had somehow been subdued and arrested by the sheriff. He was also angered to learn he had been implicated in the whole thing after one of them talked for some reason Jackson had not determined yet. He ordered Jackson to send some of his enslaved meteor freaks to attack the jail and either free the men or kill them before hanging up and wondering how they had been taken down. He shook his head and leaned back in his seat and then looked at the last stone in wonder.  
24\. Chapter 24

(33.1 Lab on the outskirts of town) 

Batman smirked as he led the attack on the lab, making sure to take down the guards hard, but causing no serious injuries to them as they went on. Kara and Diana had just blown right through a section of the wall followed quickly by Jade and Nightwing as he went through the glass skylight and landed in between two guards who were raising their guns to fire at Robin. He quickly lashed out and knocked one off the guardrail and then head-butted the other, causing him to drop his gun before nailing him in the face with his gloved fist and dropping him to the ground. 

“Nightwing heed to their computer core and get whatever information you can from it before blowing it,” he said into his earpiece. “Zatanna, you back him up,” he added.

“Confirmed Batman,” was the response from both of his team mates. He then launched himself off the rail and headed for the next set of guards as Jade followed Diana who was using her bracelets to rebound the bullets that were shot at them while Kara was hiding behind a boiler.

He frowned at that until he looked down and noted the bullet cases that were on the ground were all coated in green kryptonite and he cursed as he realized why Kara was so careful. He reached into his belt and withdrew a batarang and flung it upwards catching both guards in the back of the head allowing Kara to move forward.

+TW+

(33.1 Lab in the abandoned factory complex)

Kyle led the charge straight through the roof of the lab complex after Green Arrow had blown the roof with an explosive arrow. The guards all looked up in shock and then began to raise their guns upwards to meet the threat, but most of them were too late and they were easily taken down by the superior skill and powers of his team. He ordered Huntress to find the computer core and destroy it with Arthur to back her up. He and Bruce had both agreed blowing the cores of the labs would set Lex back quite a lot and anger him even more. He ducked as machine gun fire spat in his direction before he raised his hand and projected a huge gloved fist which ploughed into the guard and flung into the wall and knocked him out cold as on the other side Donna took down the next guard while she was covered by Obsidian. Flash shot forward in a blur to take down two more who were guarding a steel door.

+TW+

(Fortress of Solitude) 

Talia looked up as Chloe and Lois appeared in the fortress but frowned when she realized Lana and the Kent’s had not come and she wondered why. She listened as Chloe explained what had happened and what Jonathan Kent had told them to tell them. Lionel nodded and vanished from the fortress to make sure he was able to meet the sheriff when she came to question him. 

“Are they okay?” Lois asked, pointing to where Clark and Raya lay. 

“They should be,” Dax-Ur responded as he looked up from his work bench. “The kryptonite bullets were removed fast enough so they didn’t cause too much damage to them and they should recover soon enough,” he continued.

“Where is everyone else?” Chloe inquired as she looked around the almost deserted fortress. 

“They decided to hit two of the 33.1 labs Lex has set up,” Ra responded from where he was reading a document Jor-El had given him. “This should distract Luthor somewhat and buy time for us to really come up with a plan of attack and for Clark and Raya to fully recover,” he added. 

They all paused as J'onn returned followed by three others who Chloe and Lois didn’t recognize, J'onn went to check on Clark and Raya while the three newcomers went into another section of the fortress. 

“Who were they?” Lois inquired.

“Cyborgs built by Jor-El to give us some more help and so we don’t get recognized by anyone,” Dax-Ur answered with a smile. “I take it Lex has the final fake stone?” he asked turning to the Martian. 

“He does and what is almost amusing, he actually believes he won it in a fight,” J'onn responded with a smile of his own. “He does not for a minute believe he has been manipulated, it is almost sad,” he added.

“Indeed but from what I have learned of the man he has such an overflated opinion of himself it is no surprise he believes himself incapable of making a mistake or being manipulated,” Dax-Ur stated. “He reminds me of some of my own people before I left Krypton,” he continued with a sad look on his face. 

They were all shocked when Clark bolted upright in his bed and then rolled onto his knees and clutched his head in his hands. J'onn knelt down and tried to speak to him, but Clark seemed to be unable to hear him or just ignored him, Raya moaned as she opened her eyes. 

“Raya, are you awake?” Chloe asked desperately as she believed she knew what was wrong with Clark. “Raya, something is happening to Clark,” she almost shouted. 

Raya rolled out of the bed and walked unsteadily to Clark’s side before dropping to her knees and pushed his head up so she could look into his eyes and what she saw disturbed her, but before she could say anything Clark shot upwards and changed into his costume. 

“Where are the others?” he ordered and everyone could hear the change in his voice, it sounded deeper and more hollow. 

“Bruce led some of the League to the lab on the outskirts of town, including Diana and Kara while Kyle hit the one in the abandoned factory complex with the others,” Dax-Ur responded and was shocked when Kal-El shot out of the fortress. 

“What the hell just happened?” Lois asked. 

“I believe he has been consumed by the memories and emotions of his future self brought on by the attack,” Raya said as she forced herself back to her feet still feeling weak. “It almost seems as an alternate personality has appeared within him which is along the lines of what his future self was like when they sent the message backwards in time,” she added as Talia helped her back to her bed. 

“And Clark?” Chloe asked. “Our Clark?” Chloe added horrified by this turn of events and wondering what Lana and the Kent’s would say when they learned this news. 

“He is buried underneath the new personality and should be fine. He most likely will regain control after he has gotten over the shock of having been attacked. I believe this only happened due to the shock and pain of the attack. It has triggered something inside him, something I don’t believe his future self took into account when he chose this course of action,” Raya tried to explain. 

“This is a dangerous turn of events, but it also could be a blessing. Chloe, return to the Kent’s and report what has happened, we may need Lana soon,” Dax-Ur spoke up before he opened up a com line to Bruce and the others. 

+TW+

(33.1 Lab on the outskirts of town)

Batman ducked the wild swing of the meteor infected man he was currently fighting. They had discovered several of them in a cell and they hadn’t realized the people inside were all insane until they had opened the cell, most likely driven into it by Lex’s experiments. He cursed as he was forced backwards unable to hear Dax-Ur in his ear piece as he was fixated on the fight. Diana was off to the side and even she was having trouble fighting these insane people, their powers seem boosted and it made him wonder what exactly Luthor had been doing to them.

As he, Diana and Kara were forced back to back there was a huge explosion. The wall nearby was shattered as Clark swept in taking the meteor freak attacking Diana down with a hard right hand, but he didn’t stop there. He picked the man up and threw him upwards before grabbing the man’s leg and jerked hard enough on it to break his leg and knock him out cold as the man hit the floor. He did not pause and jumped the meteor freak who had just managed to knock Kara down and drove him into the wall raining down blow after blow until the man fell unconscious and finally he fired his heat vision at the one Batman was fighting. Bruce almost winced at the scream of pain before the man dropped to the floor. 

“Are there anymore?” he asked as he headed to where Diana stood and pulled her into a tight hug which seemed to surprise Diana. 

“Jade has them trapped in the cell we found them in and Nightwing and Zatanna have just blown the computer core after downloading everything in it,” Bruce responded, noting Clark seemed very different. 

“Good, make sure you destroy the camera footage before you leave Batman. I’ll go and help the others,” he added before he vanished. 

“He seemed different,” Kara noted with a worried expression as she just barely saw her cousin vanish into the distance as Bruce finally managed to hear Dax-Ur.

“Damn, according to Dax-Ur and Raya Clark’s personality has been overtaken by a facsimile of his future self,” Bruce informed them with a frown. “We better finish up here and then see if we can help Clark regain control. Kara, destroy all the cameras while I make sure there is no backup computer core,” he ordered before he walked away. 

Diana herself continued to tie up the last few guards and the three meteor freaks Kal-El had taken down. She was worried by this news because it meant the warrior with barely anything to live for was now in charge of Clark’s powers and she knew from what he had admitted to her how dangerous he could be and she also knew it would be down to her to bring him back and to keep him in control. She informed Bruce she was headed after Clark before she left as Nightwing and Zatanna entered the room.

+TW+

(33.1 Lab in the abandoned factory complex)

Kyle and the others were just as surprised by the brutality of Clark’s attacks after he appeared as Bruce and his team had been, but they could not deny how effective he was in taking down the last few guards and someone who was either a meteor freak or one of Luthor’s allies. They were just watching as he finally put the man down just evading a blast of what looked like heat from the man’s hands and he managed to land a wicked right hook which knocked the guy flying backwards into the wall. 

“Enough Kal-El, he is defeated,” Diana’s voice rang out and they all turned to face her as she landed behind Clark. 

“I’m just making sure they stay down Diana,” Kal-El replied somewhat perplexed by her order. “We are in a war, remember? They don’t care for us and we have lost too many friends to care for them,” he added. 

“Kal-El you have forgotten we are not in your time, this is the past,” Diana stated moving closer to him. “Your memories and emotions have overwhelmed your past self and somehow forged a facsimile of your future self, which has assumed control of your body,” she told him. 

Kal-El was confused by what Diana was saying before he turned and noted that many of the people standing were in fact people he knew to be dead. He clutched his head as he felt pain before shaking his head and focusing on Diana. 

“This makes no sense, this cannot be possible,” he said. 

“Obviously something has gone wrong. Something you didn’t know would happen when you sent back your memories, but it has and now we must deal with it. We shall return to the fortress,” Diana responded. “Green Lantern, remember to destroy the camera’s and to check for a backup computer core before you leave,” she added before she grabbed Kal-El and transported them back to the fortress where she hoped they could pull Clark back into control.

+TW+ 

(Fortress of Solitude)

The two teams returned to find Clark pacing as the others argued, all but Diana who stood off to the side staring at Clark. She seemed to be waiting for something. Lana was the most vocal and Bruce could tell she was horrified by the news. Raya was trying to calm her down, but neither she nor Clark’s parents were taking this well. There was no sign of Lionel, but then he wasn’t needed for them to talk to Jor-El, but he was silent at the moment.

“Silence,” Jor-El spoke finally and instantly the shouting and arguing stopped. “Enough, what has happened was clearly not part of the original plan Bruce and my son put forth in the future, but it has happened and now we must deal with it,” he added firmly. “Kal-El, can you hear me?” he asked.

“I hear you Jor-El,” Kal-El spat in distaste, surprising many by this. “I’m not shocked to find you have somehow survived the fortresses destruction and somehow built a new one,” he added.

“Kal-El, you are letting memories of a timeline which no longer exists to influence you. Your past self has changed much already, including how I have acted toward you my son,” Jor-El responded, ignoring his son’s sudden hatred as he could understand it. “The war has not happened yet and we may yet prevent it altogether if we are lucky,” he continued. 

“Lies Jor-El, all lies,” Kal-El shouted. “Obviously I have either been captured by Luthor and he’s injected me with some kind of drug or this is one of your twisted games,” he added. “Well I won’t break father not to you or Luthor. The war may be a lost cause, but I will fight to my dying breath for this world,” he promised, clenching his fists. 

“Kal-El, none of this is an illusion I promise you,” Diana spoke up stepping forward with her arms raised in a non threatening manner. “What you have been told is the truth. You are in the past and your younger self has been overwhelmed by the memories you sent backwards in time and the attack Luthor ordered on you and the others. It has caused his mind to build a facsimile of you, his future self to deal with the emotions it has caused,” she explained. “I swear to you on all bonds we share I speak the truth,” she added. 

Kal-El stared at her long and hard while the others all watched on, waiting to see if she would be able to break through to him. He began to pace again as he thought over what Diana had told him. 

“Kal-El, I will prove it to you. First look around and you will see people alive who according to you should be dead. You will also notice that they are younger than they are supposed to be and lastly,” she stated before moving up right next to him and speaking softly into his ear. “Your younger self told me you are in love with me, but you refuse to do anything about it out of fear of losing me,” she whispered before pulling back and staring him in the eye. 

Kal-El’s eyes widened at this before he looked around again. He noted Diana was correct as, nearly everyone in the fortress at this moment in time should be dead, except Bruce, Oliver, and J'onn. He also had to admit they all looked younger than he was used to these days. Then his eyes came to rest on two people in particular. He looked at Diana for a few minutes before turning and walking over to Raya and Lana. 

“Raya, you are alive?” he said almost in shock.

“Thanks to your younger self’s determination yes I’m Kal-El. He entered the zone and freed me and since then I have been helping him first in stopping the war from ever happening and second trying to stop him from being overwhelmed by your memories, sadly I failed at this,” Raya replied, looking away only for Kal-El to turn her head back to his. 

“This was not expected Raya and you did the best you could. I think Clark did this. I think he forced the memories and emotions into a personality who could fight a war. I think he may be losing the hope that he can stop it from happening,” Kal-El told her. 

“But what does this mean for Clark and to a point aren’t you Clark?” Lana asked from beside Raya. 

“No,” Kal-El answered firmly as he gazed at Lana with an almost lost look. The same look he had when he first recovered from receiving his future memories and it once again took her breath away. “Clark Kent died two years into the war. I stopped being a hero and partly human when the world collapsed and many of my friends died including you Lana. I’m Kal-El and I’m nothing but a warrior, a soldier who has seen too much death, too much destruction and too much horror to ever hope again,” he explained his tone fatalistic. 

“What happened to me and why do you look at me like that?” Lana asked, trying to keep her fear under control. 

“You ended up being infused with Kryptonite to a point where we could no longer be anywhere near each other and so you had to leave me permanently. The suit you wore allowed you to be a hero, but the price for us was too high,” Kal-El said, turning his back to her. “Two years into the war one of the largest battles took place, signaling the true end of the world as you know it right now. You were killed by Luthor who had created a suit which gave him powers such as speed, strength, endurance, as well as many powers from various meteor freaks he had studied,” he explained to them all now. “The suit also had hidden kryptonite in it so he could fight me with an advantage. You attacked him hoping to get rid of the kryptonite which you could do thanks to the experiment you interrupted and that caused your change in status, but he was too much for you and he killed you. He made sure I saw your dead body before he left. I was held up by Doomsday and couldn’t save you,” he added before falling to his knees, the despair almost too much. 

Diana knelt next to him and pulled him into a hug joined a second later by Raya and Lana. Everyone could tell this Kal-El was someone who truly had seen too much.

“Who is Doomsday?” Oliver inquired. 

“Doomsday is the ultimate weapon from a long dead race. He is one of the strongest most resilient creatures I know to exist. He has the claim of having killed me once before the war, although I didn’t actually die. It just seemed that way,” Kal-El answered before pausing briefly. “He has no known weakness, he just keeps coming. He will destroy everything and anything in his way just because it’s there,” he added, causing a shiver to run down many people’s spines. 

“Is he on Earth right now?” Nightwing asked, not truly understanding what had happened to Clark and wondering if it would interfere with their plans. 

“Yes, he is buried under the earth in a stasis tube,” Kal-El answered. “Luthor must not find and free him, no matter what and if he does only I can fight him,” he said as he slowly pushed himself back to his feet, followed by the three women at his side. 

“Why just you Kal-El? I’m just as strong as you,” Kara protested while stepping towards her cousin who quickly stepped forward and pulled her into a hard hug. 

“Kara... you can’t believe how happy I’m to see you alive once more. Your death has haunted me,” Kal-El said while pulling back. “And to answer your question yes you have my strength, speed and every other advantage. Except my experience in dealing with Doomsday as well as the kind of mentality you need to fight someone like that and I don’t want to see you become like me Kara,” he continued, his eyes telling Kara more than he was saying and it upset her to see how much her cousin had changed since she had met him, it was like he had no real soul left in him. 

“Father, please update me on what has happened, it maybe sometime before Clark manages to resume control,” Kal-El ordered as he walked over to the control console. “I’m sorry if this upsets some of you, especially the Kent’s but maybe with my help we can end this faster,” he said as he sat down and turned to listen to the voice of his father. 

The Kent’s looked devastated by this news and by the lack of emotion as Kal-El spoke to them. Lana tried to comfort them obviously just as upset as them. Raya walked over to Kal-El’s side as did Diana to keep an eye on him as the others broke to discuss what they had just learned.  
25\. Chapter 25

Note: My thanks again to Hawklan for helping out. By the way… you really should visit his author page. He has quite a few fics of his own you should check out. 

Chapter 25

(Airport, Japan)

Lex leaned back in his chair in his private jet and was basking in his victory of finding all three stones of power, he could barely stop himself from joining them and absorbing whatever power they contained and learning what secrets they held. He was heading for Spain where he had learned Jason had booked a ticket too. He wondered why he was going there before shrugging and pushing it from his mind. He would finish off Jason and then he would return to Smallville and finally deal with Clark face to face and take possession of Lana. 

+T+

(Luthor Mansion) 

Lionel smiled as he greeted the sheriff as she entered his study pleased he had managed to get back here on time for her visit. He had decided to cause Lex as much trouble as he could with this, because he knew once Lex got back here with the fake stones he would step up his plans to kill Clark and capture Lana. So he was not only going to tell the sheriff what he was told to, but also remind the sheriff of his sons mental breakdown the year before and make it seem like he was suffering a relapse which should be enough to make her want to arrest him and question him for a while he was sure.

He was also going to give out a few other choice comments which should put the sheriff and her people onto some of the projects Lex had started before all this came about and would make him look even more like a crazed madman. 

+T+

(Madrid, Spain)

Jason Teague looked around as he headed to the church Clark had told him he would find someone to help him. He was still wondering how Clark knew this, but was willing to trust him on this to get away from Lex until he could sort himself out and deal with the man who had ordered his mother’s death and make him pay. 

+T+

(Fortress of Solitude)

Kal-El leaned back as he went over everything his father had told him, somewhat amazed his younger self had managed to do so much. Events had changed from what he remembered and yet thanks to the actions of his Brainiac they were still heading for war, he could feel it in his gut when he looked at his friends. Something was bothering him through and that was the slow progress of the black ship, why was Brainiac taking so long to get here now he knew where Earth and the fortress was? ‘No, something isn’t right there,’ he thought.

 

“Are you okay Kal-El?” Diana inquired from beside him. 

“I’m just surprised Clark has managed to do so much, my memory of this time is bad. I made many mistakes and yet he has avoided them and taken events head on,” Kal-El responded.

“Thanks to your and Bruce’s plan, Kal-El,” Raya pointed out. “None of this would be possible if not for that. Yes, he has done much, but he still takes things that go wrong to heart too much,” she informed him.

“That is no surprise Raya,” he said with a smile as he looked at her. “It used to be one of my biggest weaknesses,” he continued. “I thought so much was my fault and it led me to make many mistakes. That changed as I grew thanks to you and others I met like J'onn,” he told her. “Still when I vanish you will have to watch for it in the future as it can be dangerous,” he warned them both to which they nodded.

“How long do you believe you will be here?” Diana asked. 

“That depends on Clark and on his determination to use me to fight this war that has not yet happened, then again this attack you mentioned may have triggered all of his repressed fear, anger and hate into something he could not control or understand and created me to protect him until he could regain control of himself,” Kal-El wondered. 

“Anything is possible my son,” Jor-El said as he interrupted them. “I think your idea has some merit as to what had happened to cause this,” he added. “However I think it is pointless to continue to speculate on this and focus on other things,” he continued 

“Such as father?” Kal-El asked finding it hard to put aside his hatred for his real father, no matter what he had been told. 

“Stopping Luthor from building his army, we have caused him large setbacks in destroying two of his labs. Now I suggest we hit some more while he is distracted,” Jor-El answered. 

“Agreed father,” Kal-El said before he summoned the rest of the group and began to plan for an assault on three more of the labs, one by just him and Diana, the second led by Bruce and the third by Oliver.

The group was shocked at the military type planning Kal-El was showing before it was rammed home just how much a soldier Clark had become and it showed them all what they too must have become like in the future, it was a sobering thought to them all. As the planning progressed Martha tried to protest when Kal-El put Isobel in one of the teams only to be quieted by Lana who assured her Isobel would not let anything happen to her. Chloe was put on another to hack into the systems and shut down their security. While Chloe was nervous at this she nodded and accepted the order and a part of her was really pleased to be involved. 

“Don’t worry Chloe, I’ll watch your back,” Bart promised her with a smile, which caused Chloe to blush. 

“As long as that’s all you do Bart, remember this is serious,” Oliver couldn’t help but rub it in and causing a few laughs around the table. 

“Okay is everyone clear on the plans?” Kal-El asked and when everyone nodded they all prepared to leave. “Dax-Ur, do us a favor and run an entire sensor sweep of the black ship. I think something is off about it, I just can’t put my finger on it,” he said turning to the scientist.

“I will Kal-El, good luck to you all,” Dax-Ur replied as Talia kissed Bruce for luck just behind him before he and everyone else vanished. 

+T+

(Lex’s Jet)

Lex listened as Jackson reported that two of his 33.1 labs had been utterly destroyed and all the data in the computers had been fried when the computer core, as well as its backup, was blown up. Lex’s hand went white as he clutched his phone tightly as Jackson went on to say all the security cameras and footage had also been destroyed so they had no idea who had struck them as the guards as well as the meteor freaks they had contained had been arrested or sent to Bellview and he almost screamed in rage. The only thing that calmed him slightly was the fact Jackson had managed to lead the mission to kill the men who had been captured during the attempt to kill Clark and capture Lana and succeeded without tipping off the sheriff that anything was wrong. 

His anger was quickly roused again as Jackson reported the sheriff seemed intent on arresting him the minute she saw him after going to see his father and he wondered what the old fool had told her before dismissing it as unimportant before hanging up. Things were quickly heating up, but he was sure he was still in control as he placed his hand on the box that contained the three stones of power, unaware he was watched by something on the plane. 

+T+

(33.1 lab underneath Smallville)

Diana easily knocked the guard unconscious as he tried to shoot her and she shook her head at how poorly trained these guards seemed to be. She turned to see Kal-El engaged in combat with three meteor infected people who like the ones they had encountered before seemed to be insane from whatever Luthor had done to them. She had decided to stay back and deal with the human guards so Kal-El could work off his anger on the meteor freaks without concern as they were a very real threat. She looked around and located the computer core and quickly destroyed it before going to look for its backup system as well as the security station. 

Kal-El wailed on the meteor freaks with all the power he could muster, he had no restraint no desire to stop until these things were dealt with. He lashed out with his heat vision burning through the tallest of the group killing him, while the smallest managed to catch him on the side with a silver spike he seemed to be able to create, but he easily removed it and rammed it into the man’s gut before turning to face the last of them who had stepped back from him before he snarled and charged him. He easily intercepted him and twisted his arm, causing the man to cry out before he grabbed his head and twisted sharply and let him fall dead before walking away.

He watched as Diana came back down the corridor she had previously gone down smiling at him and he found it hard not to stare at her beauty. He had always thought she was a great looking woman, but right now she looked like a goddess and he couldn’t stop himself from moving forward with the intent of finally acting on his feelings for her. His iron will seemed to be absent and he wondered if this being Clark’s body had something to do with his lack of control in this area. He swept Diana to him and kissed her as hard and as forceful as he could. She resisted for a few seconds before she settled against him and began to return the passion of the kiss he had started. When they broke it they stared at one another for a few minutes before breaking apart. 

“That wasn’t just me, I think that was Clark as well. I think his feelings towards you combined with mine eroded my control and my will to keep you at a distance,” Kal-El stated with a slightly troubled look.

“You need not keep yourself at a distance Kal-El as in the time I have known you I have learned just what it is that drives you and I find it is just like what drives myself, we are the same no matter what form you maybe in. I’m yours and I will remain yours no matter what and I’m sure had you confessed to my future self she would have told you the same thing,” Diana responded with a gentle smile before darting forward and kissing him again, lost in the emotion of the moment. 

+T+

(Fortress of Solitude)

Talia was dismayed as she saw Bruce and his team return as he was been supported by Kara and was holding his side. She quickly rushed over to check on him as Dax-Ur had him lie on one of the beds so he could check the wound. Ra noted Lana was looking slightly off most likely Isobel had decided to use this as a way of continuing her training of the girl and Lana was recovering from what she had seen and maybe what she had just done during the fight. He also noted Nightwing and Jade both were sporting cuts, but nothing life threatening. 

A few minutes later Oliver and his team returned and they all seemed fine, he noted Chloe was keeping close to the speedster and he wondered what had happened when another flash deposited Kal-El and Diana into the fortress engaged in every deep very loving kiss if Ra wasn’t mistaken, something he found almost amusing. He looked over at where Raya and Lana stood and noted neither seemed angry, in fact they seemed to have been suspecting this to happen. 

“How did things go?” Jonathan asked as he tried not to smirk as his son was still locked in a passionate kiss with the Amazon princess. 

“They had no idea what hit them once Chloe knocked their systems out,” Donna answered before giggling at the still kissing couple and she couldn’t wait to tell their mother of this development. “We didn’t come across any meteor freaks this time. He was working on something, but I’m not sure what. We copied his computer core before we destroyed it so Jor-El can check it out and see what he was up too,” she added. 

“We ran into a bit more trouble,” Nightwing spoke up from his chair. 

“What happened?” Dax-Ur asked.

“The initial attack went well and we seemed to be easily taking them down when Bane appeared and attacked us. Bruce engaged him and forced him back, but not before he was knifed in the side,” Nightwing answered with a shake of his head. “After Bane fled we had it easy and quickly destroyed the lab and locked up the meteor freaks they had once they were down,” he continued. 

“And you Kal-El?” Jor-El inquired, but his son and Diana didn’t respond and continued to kiss. 

“Excuse me sorry for disrupting you, but we are trying to talk to you,” Bart said walking over to the couple and finally after a few seconds they broke apart. 

“You said something?” Kal-El asked with a small smile on his face which quickly dropped off when he remembered what had happened to Bart and his friends. 

“I asked how things went on your end?” Jor-El repeated his question. 

“We destroyed it and I killed the meteor freaks I engaged as they were all insane. There was nothing left of the people they were thanks to Luthor,” Kal-El responded. “Everything in the lab including the computer core and security footage was destroyed as we left,” he added. 

“Cool now we are making some progress,” Zatanna said with a smile. 

“Yes we are, but we still have to be careful,” Oliver reminded her. “How is Bruce, Dax-Ur?” he asked as he walked over to where Bruce lay with Talia by his side. 

“He will recover,” Dax-Ur responded with a smile at Talia who looked very relieved by this news. “The blade didn’t puncture anything vital, all he needs is a day’s rest,” he added before moving away as Ra took his place, relieved to see his daughters chosen wasn’t going to die. 

“Dax-Ur did you run that sweep of the black ship?” Kal-El asked as he walked over to him. 

“I did and I found it lacked any real power signature, even with Brainiac within the ship or in a less complex form the ship should be showing some kind of power signature which I could read. I don’t understand it,” Dax-Ur informed him with a creased brow. 

“Damn it,” Kal-El cursed. “Brainiac is already on Earth as is Nam-Ek and Aethyr. They left the ship and flew here and left it as a ruse to make us relax and take our eye off them,” he told them all. “No way would Brainiac just sit around and give us time to counter him, especially if he has all the knowledge of his future counterpart,” he continued. 

“What the hell do we do?” Arthur asked worried how this changed things. 

“We have to prepare to fight a war because if Brainiac has his way that is exactly what we will be facing very soon,” Kal-El answered as Raya, Lana and Diana all moved closer to him, while Chloe pushed into Bart until he hugged her and Talia placed her head onto Bruce’s chest and sighed as he ran his hand through her hair. 

“I’m almost finished my chip which will reprogram Brainiac, but it will not be finished for at least another week,” Dax-Ur said, gutted by this news and at his failure to see it. “I believe we should move our families to safer harbors before this escalates any further,” he added.

“One question before that if Kal-El is right and Brainiac is here where is he and why hasn’t he attacked us yet?” Kara asked.

“He will be watching Lex, waiting for the time to strike. As for not attacking, he does not want to tip his hand to being on Earth,” Kal-El growled. “Go see to your families. Diana, Donna you best go and place your people on alert, things are going to get dark soon,” he continued. “I think everyone else who doesn’t have family should stay here for now,” he pressed as people vanished, including Nightwing who was going to get Alfred and warn others he and Bruce were close too. “Jor-El, summon Lionel back now. He is vulnerable no matter what and we need his help,” he said turning to the console. 

“As you wish my son,” Jor-El replied.  
26\. Chapter 26

Note: My thanks again to Hawklan for helping out. By the way… you really should visit his author page. He has quite a few fics of his own you should check out. 

Chapter 26 

(Lex’s Jet) 

Brainiac observed Lex as he went about his plans unaware he was been watched. He almost laughed at how easy it had been to trick Kal-El and whatever allies he had pulled together that they were still in the black ship allowing him and Zod’s two soldiers to come to Earth and begin to plot how to bring Zod back. It wasn’t time to strike just yet, but soon very soon General Zod would return and this human would help make it happen.

+T+

(Madrid, Spain) 

Jason entered the church with his nerves slightly frayed after everything he had been through in the last two days, but he was sure things would turn in his favor soon enough.

“Hello son,” a voice said from behind him. He spun around to stare in stunned silence at seeing his father who he had been told was dead, killed in a car crash. 

“It this some kind of trick?” Jason asked, rubbing his eyes and was wondering what he had done to deserve this kind of shock.

“No trick Jason. I didn’t expect you,” Edward Teague replied. “Why are you here and what exactly brought you to this church?” he asked, stepping closer to his son. 

“Mother was murdered on the orders of Lex Luthor. I was warned by Clark Kent, a former friend, to get away from him and he told me to come here, where I would find someone who could help me, but I had no idea it was you,” Jason answered as his father sighed and sat down at the news. 

“And what were you doing with Luthor’s son?” Edward inquired, saddened no matter what had come between him and his late wife by her death. 

“We were searching for the stones of power like mother told me to do. Lex has them all now I’m sure,” Jason answered just stopping himself from shouting.

“I told her that her quest for those stones would be her undoing and it seems I was correct,” Edward said with a shake of his head. “So what help do you require?” he asked. 

“A place to stay and rest while I try and figure out what I’m going to do,” Jason replied, keeping any hint of wanting revenge hidden. 

“Very well and then you can tell me all about it and this Clark Kent who seemed to know where I was even though I’m supposed to be dead,” Edward said and relented as finally his curiosity got the better of him and he led his son to the rooms upstairs after locking the church up.

+T+

(Lex’s Jet)

Lex smirked as the plane began its landing run. He was pleased that he would soon be able to remove Jason as a threat to his plans. Jason had money and power now thanks to his mother’s death, which meant he could hire contract killers to try and take him out and he wanted to stop that. He hid the container with the stones in his safe before getting ready to leave, finally the plane came to a halt and the door was opened and he departed with his guards.

Brainiac formed from the wall where he had been watching and walked over to the safe and quickly opened it. The locking mechanism was easily broken by him and he removed the box and looked inside and was not surprised to find three fake stones inside. So Kal-El must already have them, no matter these stones were going to help him take control of Luthor’s goals even more and he began to rewrite their coding adding his own. When Luthor merged these stones they would infuse him with the knowledge of how to find the fortress and access the portal to the phantom zone as well as make him trust Brainiac and Zod’s two disciples. It would also make him want to release General Zod who he would be made to believe would help him gain control of the world, which he knew Lex wanted. 

He also added a real burning desire to start a war of conquest with his allies and the growing number of meteor freaks he had. Finally when he was done he put the box back into the safe and sealed it before he reformed into the wall to wait, knowing he was about to set things back onto the path which led to his future.

+T+

(Fortress of Solitude)

Kal-El stood in front of the control panel of the fortress going over what his past self-had managed to do once again. He was looking at certain changed Clark had put into effect such as the new costumes they were wearing as well as not only confessing everything to Lana and restarting their relationship, but he had also fallen for Raya. Something he knew he had once thought of trying before her death and now Diana. According to Raya his emotional ties to certain people had come back through the transfer as well as his memories, effecting Clark all the more. He had never believed such a thing was possible and yet the evidence was right in front of him, but at the moment it was not his main focus. 

Brainiac was here on Earth and he knew with that information the war was closer than ever before. The world really did stand on the knife’s edge, only years earlier than it should have. The original thinking behind the plan had been that once the transfer was complete the time ripples would destroy the future before Brainiac could stop them. They had been wrong and now the world may pay the price of their mistake. He now knew why Clark had pushed him into being. He didn’t believe he could take on Brainiac and stop him in time before he did something that brought the war ever closer. 

His past self-had done much, but he still retained a lot of innocence and a lack of killer instinct. The same instinct he had lacked when he had been told to kill Lex when he had been possessed by Zod. Clark was most likely afraid it would come down to that once more and like he himself had failed he feared failing as well. He could understand how the attack had brought all this to a head creating him, but he worried that by being here he may tip things far too much towards the war as well. He was a solider used to killing used to fighting to the last. He no longer had the hope of stopping the war like Clark and the others had. He stood and walked over towards Diana, Raya and Lana to discuss this with them as he believed they would have to keep closer watch on his actions.

Dax-Ur and Jor-El worked side by side to speed up work on the chip they hoped would stop Brainiac, both were very concerned by the realization they had been tricked by the A.I they had created, but they were not surprised by how smart it has been. They cursed the day they ever came up with the idea. At the time it had seemed to be the best solution to many problems on Krypton they just had not foreseen Zod corrupting the program into what it was today. 

Kara was talking with Donna, she found the subject of the hidden Amazon nation fascinating and she was enjoying learning about their culture. However she could see Donna was troubled, most likely by the knowledge her island and most of her people were destroyed in the future and that they hadn’t been able to stop Luthor and his army. 

She could understand this as she had seen many of her own people with the same look before she left Krypton, including her uncle and Lara. She missed Lara and she wished she could ask if there was a way to bring her replica online without freeing her father, but she knew they had bigger problems to deal with now and so she kept silent. 

Jonathan and Martha were off to the side with Lois and were watching as events progressed, hoping their son regained control of himself soon, but Jonathan suspected that until this reached a conclusion Kal-El would remain in charge of his son’s body. He was in two minds about this as on one hand Clark would not have to take a life to stop the war from coming, but on the other Kal-El seemed to have few connections to him, Martha, Lana and the others he considered dead. Diana was the only one he seemed to fully connect with. Martha was deeply upset about all this, but he had assured her once Luthor and his allies had been dealt with that their Clark would return.

Talia remained by Bruce’s side as he recovered from been stabbed by Bane. She had listened as Bruce cursed his own foolishness in getting carried away and she was beginning to see how much Bruce had been affected by the message from his future self and what he had learned from Clark. She prayed he would not loose himself even more. They had a chance at a wonderful future if they could deal with Lex and his forces, but she wanted and needed Bruce to be there for that future to be realized. 

Her father was off to one side talking with Lionel, Oliver and Arthur about their next targets, she worried about him as she knew he died in the future and she feared what would happen when they came face to face with her sister Nyssa.

+T+

(Madrid Spain)

Jason sat down as his father stood off to the side taking in everything he had said to him, a lot of old wounds had been reopened, but they both seemed to have come to an understanding somewhat. Jason didn’t think his father would do anything to avenge his wife’s death especially considering he seemed to have become a priest and if he was not it was a very good act he had to admit. 

He was perplexed by his father’s interest in Clark and how he had known where he was, it was the same kind of obsession he had seen in Lex and Lionel Luthor and he wondered why everyone including Lana seemed so interested in a small town farm boy. When he met Lana she seemed anything, but a small town girl and yet when he had come to Smallville she had seemed different than when he had met her. He had watched as she tried to stay away from Clark almost as if she was afraid to be tempted being near him. He should have guessed it was only a matter of time before she gave in and went back to Clark, but he had allowed himself to be blinded by his feelings and hopes. Well he would gain his revenge on her as well as it became clear she had used him as a distraction from Clark. 

Before he could speak again the door to the back of the church was kicked in and he was shocked to see Lex enter with his bodyguards. How the hell had Lex tracked him down then cursed himself for failing to realize Lex had a lot of resources to call on. 

“It was not polite of you Jason to run, it made me delay some of my plans while I tracked you down,” Lex said. He looked over the man with Jason and was about to allow the priest to leave when he realized he had seen this man before, even more he had believed he was dead. “Edward Teague, I’m surprised to see you still alive, my father believes he killed you,” he added.

“Yes, that was the point,” Edward replied as he realized his hopes to see the traveler were finished as he doubted Luthor would now kill them both. “You’re not welcome here Luthor leave,” he ordered. 

“No, I don’t think so. I came here to kill Jason, but now I have to also kill you and finish this problem once and for all,” Lex responded with a smirk. “But before you die Jason know I have all the stones and when you are dead I will unite them and become all powerful and I will gain the knowledge they contain,” he added.

“Those stones will bring you nothing but empty promises Luthor,” Edward spat in disdain. “You are a fool like many others who believe those stones are meant for them,” he added.

“And who are they meant for Teague?” Lex inquired, annoyed at the slight to his character.

“You’ll never know Luthor,” was all that Edward would say, determined to take his secrets to the grave to protect the future savior of the world. 

Lex quickly grew bored of the conversation and he didn’t believe either Teague had any information that could be useful to him or his plans and so he nodded to his guards and watched with no small bit of satisfaction as they shot both Teague’s through the heart and then planted evidence to make it look like both of them were murdered for money before turning and leaving the church, confident he was now close to realizing his goals. 

He got in his car and headed back to his plane intent of returning to Smallville and turning his attention to finally dealing with Clark. He phoned Jackson for an update and was incensed to learn three more of his 33.1 labs had been destroyed. He wanted to know who was responsible for this and how they knew where the labs were. He was shocked to learn that Bane had reported Batman was a part of the force that had attacked one of the labs and somewhat pleased to hear he had managed to stab the hero, although he doubted he had been killed as Batman was notorious for surviving things he shouldn’t. 

This put a whole new picture on things and he wondered what in the hell he had done to attract the attention of Gotham City’s most famous vigilante. Bane also stated other costumed heroes had been there and he began to suspect they somehow knew what he planned and he knew of only one person who could and would have alerted them to his actions and that was Clark. This intensified the anger and hate he had begun to nurse against his former friend and he was determined that ones he got a hold of him he was going to make Clark suffer before he killed him and part of that torture was going to be make him watch as he took Lana from him as he was sure he could convince the girl that is was truly in her best interest to be with him. 

He smirked at the idea, confident in his ability to manipulate the girl into believing his way of thinking, confident that he could make her turn on Clark if he gave her enough power and expensive gifts to forget her low born past. As they arrived at the airport he began to make his next few moves, with all these new players he would have to be careful and he would have to dodge the sheriff who wanted to arrest him, even though the people who had fingered him as the one who ordered the attack on Clark were now dead. He knew the sheriff wasn’t one to let things slide by her and even more she wasn’t awed by his money and power. She barely even liked him and wouldn’t let this go until she was satisfied.

He boarded the plane and headed for his safe, no longer willing to wait to merge the stones and he quickly opened the box as he felt the plane take off. He looked over the stones before he placed them next to one another and watched as they all began to shine with a bright light which intensified as the seconds passed by before three stones turned into one and he grabbed it not even waiting to check it for any type of traps, his lust for power was pushing him forward. 

Brainiac watched not surprised in the least with Luthor’s lack of inspection of the stone. 

Lex stood holding the stone and was now bathed in light as the knowledge Brainiac had downloaded into it went into his mind. He had also made sure the stone would give Lex a boost in strength and speed and help in the eventual possession by Zod so his body wouldn’t burn out so fast. 

Finally it was over and Lex allowed the stone to fall from his hand infused with new power and new knowledge and he smiled as he saw Brainiac appear before him. He hadn’t known he was watched, but he knew he could trust this person who wanted to help him gain power.

“How do we take the fortress?” he asked, using the knowledge he now had to press forward. 

“We wait for the right moment. Clark is most likely helping these new enemies in attacking your labs, so I suggest you move them to a new one and I mean a complete new one,” Brainiac answered. “Build your strength and when they attack one of your other labs strike the fortress. We only need to hold it long enough to free Zod. Then we can leave and they will be facing utter defeat,” he continued with a smile of his own. 

“I like it,” Lex said before grabbing his phone to contact Jackson and put the plans into motion, pleased to have some more help.  
27\. Chapter 27

Note: My thanks again to Hawklan for helping out. By the way… you really should visit his author page. He has quite a few fics of his own you should check out. 

Chapter 27

(Fortress of Solitude)

“So what do you expect Brainiac will do first, once he reveals himself to Luthor?” Oliver inquired as they all sat down to discuss their next move. “How does this change things?” he added.

“It changes things a lot Oliver, especially if he has all the knowledge of his future self. He can ensure the war starts a hundred ways so no matter what, he has to be defeated,” Kal-El replied. “As for his goal he has only one goal and that is to free General Zod from the Phantom Zone,” he continued.

“Which means he will want to get into the fortress right?” Kara spoke up, disturbed by the A.I.’s presence on earth as it made their job all the tougher. 

“Yes he will, by any means possible,” Jor-El was the one who answered. “I have reprogrammed my cyborgs to defend the fortress and I’m now making more. If Zod is freed the war will happen unless we can destroy him,” he added.

“Luckily Raya has the crystal which can absorb Zod’s spirit from whoever he possesses,” Kal-El told them, holding up the crystal. “It was how I beat him in my timeline, most likely Lex will be the vessel and if he is I will kill him this time. I will not fail a second time to stop Zod, he did enough damage because of my weakness in the first time line,” he explained. 

“It is not weakness to be merciful Clark,” Martha interrupted, annoyed by his speech and intention. 

“No offense mom, but you have no idea of what you are saying. Sparing Lex will never have a good ending. He will keep coming at us and keep trying to rule this world until he his dead,” Kal-El responded. “He maybe human, but he sold his soul a long time ago,” he added.

“I’ll bloody say,” Oliver said. “Even as a kid he was evil and twisted and I watched as he beat his only friend to within an inch of his life. Duncan only survived because my friends and I pulled him off, but he walked straight into the road and was hit full speed by a car, he died from his injuries,” he informed them. “I saw the darkness that lived in Lex upfront and it has never left him. he may have acted like the reformed man when you met him, but I assure you he was properly planning how his friendship to you could benefit him and he was even more likely planning on stealing Lana from Clark early on as well,” he continued to hammer the point home. “My friends and I aren’t blameless for what happened to Duncan, but we never would have beaten him like Lex did,” he finished, feeling the old guilt well up but he pushed it aside. 

Martha stared at Oliver in shock and horror as she began to really see who Lex Luthor was. She guessed even with learning all she had about his future actions she had believed the man who had befriended Clark had been a decent person, but it was clear now he had never been decent and she shivered with how wrong she had been. Jonathan wasn’t surprised to learn this, as he had always suspected the truth about Lex, but he kept silent. He noted Lionel looked sad and weary as Oliver finished his speech and he wondered if he felt responsible for the man his son had become.

“No he has to die this time, especially if he becomes the vessel,” Kal-El told them. “There is no other option,” he added.

“What about the plan to banish him and the others to the Phantom Zone?” Donna inquired. “Are we still going to do that?” she added.

“Yes for the most part,” Kal-El responded. “But not Lex, he is just too dangerous to leave in any way alive as should he be freed from the zone it would be chaos,” he told them. “I know for most of you this is hard to hear, but I have seen what he can do and what he enjoys doing and I’m committed to killing him to end the threat once and for all,” he stated. “The others go to the zone and if we can’t reprogram Brainiac he will have to be destroyed or banished,” he concluded. 

“And how do we do that Kal-El?” Lana asked feeling depressed at using Clark’s Kryptonian name, but she knew in her heart once all this was done with she would have her Clark back so she refused to allow this to get to her. 

“Banishing him is no real problem, but destroying him is. I believed quite a few times I had destroyed him only for him to return to haunt me, but I’m sure Jor-El and Dax-Ur can find a weakness we can exploit with time, although for us time is now very short,” Kal-El answered. 

“Kal-El do you think Luthor’s plans or strategies will change with Brainiac now aiding him?” Bruce asked from his bed, still recovering from his wound but listening all the same.

“Yes they will, he’ll become harder to predict and his labs will be cleared out and a new one he has not used before in either time line will be set up,” Kal-El replied. “Chloe, Lana and J'onn will look into this and try and locate it once it is up and operational,” he began to put plans into motion. 

“How will we know when he has the new lab up?” Bart inquired from his seat next to Chloe who was resting her head on his shoulder much to his enjoyment 

“When we hit one of the labs we already know about which has been cleared out. In fact Lionel you’ll join that team as you know how Lex thinks and even with Brainiac whispering in his ear that will not change much,” Kal-El answered. “We have to be careful now how we move, our families have been put on alert and moved to safer places, but they still might try and track them down so we have to make sure there is no traces to lead to them,” he told them. “Once that is done we will go back to taking out his labs until they are cleared out, then we hold until we find the new lab,” he added. 

The others all nodded and began to leave to do as they had been told, none of them wanted their families brought into this as they now knew just how evil Lex could be from Oliver’s tale. Kal-El remained behind staring out into the arctic from the fortress main exit. He was joined a few minutes later by Raya and Diana who both leaned against him.

“You are worried Kal-El about more than what you said, aren’t you?” Raya asked, looking up at him. 

“Yes, as I said before I’m afraid of tipping the League to much towards a war footing, but I can see no other way of dealing with Lex and I know Bruce plans to kill Joker and Nyssa, not banish them, our messages have made certain things set in stone,” he responded with a sigh. 

“I don’t believe it will turn as badly as you believe if we are lucky, but maybe it is not such a bad thing that you are bringing them more into that mindset, because if the war starts we will need to change our tactics and roles,” Raya assured him. “I’m sure part of what made the war so bad for the League in the original time line is that they were not used to fighting in a war. They didn’t have the mindset for it until it was almost too late, correct?” she asked.

“Yes,” Kal-El reluctantly replied. “It was five years before any notion we were anything but soldiers was pushed home. By then many were dead and we were losing,” he added.

“Then perhaps that will not happen so quickly if they have the right mindset to fight a war now. It may not happen Kal-El, but it can’t hurt in the long run if it does,” Raya pushed him to understand and was pleased when he nodded and leaned down and kissed her before doing the same with Diana who had kept quiet, not really believing she could offer much reassurance on this topic. 

They continued to stare out into the arctic as night well knowing in the coming days the future of this world would be decided, they all prayed they would succeed in their efforts.

+TW+

(Luthor Mansion)

Lex smiled as he entered his home feeling more alive than ever before as he contemplated his new plans, with the help of Brainiac and his two helpers he would soon gain more power than he had ever dreamed of having and with it he would destroy Clark and his friends and claim Lana once and for all. He would break her if he had to so until she was submissive to him, but he would have her. His smirk grew as he imagined Clark seeing his great love clinging to him and calling him master. 

That would be a fitting first step of revenge on Clark for his years of lying to him when he believed they were friends, now he knew what powers Clark had and where he came from and he would destroy him as a threat to his future kingdom. Once they captured the fortress and freed Zod his rule would begin and there was nothing Clark and his friends could do to stop them if they planned their attack right. A new lab was already been built where they could build their numbers up and create more of his altered meteor freaks who were loyal to him and completely insane from the process.

His scientists had found a way to improve their powers and then they injected a chip into their brains which ensured they obeyed him. Some of it had come from his strange dreams, but it had worked and that it was so useful was all that mattered. He sat at his desk and wondered how long it would be before they could attempt to launch their attempt to seize the fortress. If Brainiac was correct the best way to draw all of their enemies away was to dig up the alien Doomsday. One that according to Brainiac had stated was capable of killing Clark and others like him. He had immediately set a team to work making sure to keep it out of sight of the cops. He looked up as the doors to his study opened and sheriff Adams entered with two of her deputy’s and he cursed as he remembered Jackson had warned him she wanted to arrest him. 

“Sheriff, how may I help you?” he asked, trying to keep his face neutral.

“I’m afraid Mr. Luthor you’re going to have to come with me to the station to answer some questions. I have evidence that you sent a squad of men to kill Clark Kent and kidnap Lana Lang,” the sheriff replied, keeping a close eye on Luthor. “The men confessed to this just before someone managed to get inside the cells and kill them all. Now I want answers, so please let’s go,” she added. “I also have a statement from your father that seems to indicate you may be suffering a mental breakdown again,” she stated. “If so, I intend to make sure you don’t harm anyone and I will throw you into the nut house myself,” she told him with a tight smile. 

Lex almost growled before he pressed a button to inform Jackson to call his lawyers before following the sheriff out of the mansion, knowing nothing could really be brought against him, but if she refused to let him go he was prepared to go on the run and then once he was in power he would make this idiot pay.

+TW+

(Kent Farm) 

Jonathan and Martha sat with Lana and Chloe back at home trying to understand and come to terms with what had happened in the last day and a half. He knew all three women were upset and distressed with the way Kal-El was acting as it was clear there was nothing of Clark left in him. For Martha and Lana this was more upsetting than anything, the explanations as to why this had happened had done nothing to help them come to grips with this change as the three of them were worried Clark was gone for good. He didn’t think this was the case and was more certain the attack combined with all the stress and anger had forced this to happen and he was sure it would wear off. 

He also knew Lana was upset by the fact Kal-El seemed to have no real emotional ties to her as from his point of view she was dead and had been for a long time. He was more connected to Diana and even showed more warmth to Raya who was also dead to him and yet that didn’t seem to matter. Jonathan guessed it was because she was a fellow Kryptonian or something along those lines, he sighed and sat back hoping the whole thing was dealt with soon, because since this had begun the emotional upheaval was getting harder to bear especially for them. He felt tired and he knew the others were as well.

“Do you think we can still win what with this Brainiac here?” Chloe asked out of the blue. 

“I hope so,” Lana responded, her voice also showing the tiredness he was sure they all felt. “If we can’t we’ll never get our Clark back,” she added frowning 

“Don’t give up hope Lana, because if you do then you’ve already lost,” Jonathan cautioned her with a smile. “I really don’t believe we have lost Clark for good, he will be back once this is done with,” he added.

“Do you really believe that Jonathan?” Martha inquired while looking at her husband. 

“Yes I do,” he said with complete confidence and belief in his son which calmed all three women because he really did believe it. 

+TW+

(Police Station)

Lex kept his silence as the sheriff got more and more worked up as he refused to answer most of her questions except to say that his father was the one who had gone insane and wanted him out of the way because he was fixated on Clark Kent and his family and also that he knew nothing of any attack on the Kent farm. He was finding it amusing to watch the hard edged woman get so worked up. He knew his lawyers would be arriving soon to get him out of here, but for now he would just have to put up with the woman’s arrogance. 

A part of him reminded him that he could if he wanted break his way out of this place thanks to the power he had received from the stones and while he was in no way up to taking on Clark he could take on any normal human easily, but he needed to keep his public face as clean as possible so he could use it to turn people against his enemies and of course keep raking in the money Luthor Corp generated until he no longer needed it and was one of the rulers of mankind. 

As he smiled at the idea the sheriff seemed to grow more and more annoyed and the only thing that stopped her shouting at him was a knock on the door and the entrance of one of her deputies along with his lawyers who all looked confident, which boosted his confidence he would soon be out of here. He watched them have a quick discussion before the sheriff almost stormed out of the room leaving him to talk to the lawyers as soon as the deputy closed the door.  
28\. Chapter 28

(Fortress of Solitude)

Kal-El took off from the fortress and flew into the night sky heading for space wishing for some time alone. He needed to see if he could in anyway contact his younger self and force him to retake control of his body. He stopped as he reached the spot where the watchtower lay in his future and began to meditate.

Raya watched him go, knowing he needed to do this, but she doubted if he would succeed. She knew Kal-El now, both of them, and she believed he had done this to make sure he was up to the task and dealing with Luthor permanently this time should it become necessary. She knew he feared failing and allowing the war to come again without a real effort to stop it, so in his anger and fear he had created a replica of his future self from the memories and emotions to help him.

The downside was that this Kal-El seemed to be cut off from nearly everyone bar herself and Diana and those of the League who still lived in the future, but it was to Diana he turned to more and more and the distance between himself, Lana and his parents continued to grow as time passed. As he had told them there was nothing of Clark Kent within him and neither Lana nor the Kent’s wanted to accept that, especially Lana who viewed Kal-El only as his human raised persona and never his true Kryptonian self. 

This more than anything troubled her. Should they truly succeed in their goals and live how could Lana expect to have a future with Kal-El if she only accepted half of him? She never called him by his true name as if he was a different person. She might have accepted his powers and where he came from, but she doubted that Lana would ever truly come to comprehend that Clark Kent didn’t really exist for he was and always would be Kal-El of Krypton. She had shared these thoughts with Diana and she had agreed there was cause for concern, but that it could wait until later and so she turned and walked back into the fortress and listened as Bruce, Oliver, Bart and Arthur discussed their next move. 

+TW+

(Underground)

The team continued to drill to their destination as ordered, ignoring how hard the ground was proving to be. They knew better than to disappoint Lex Luthor and they had been told this was of the highest priority and so they pushed on even as they grew tired. 

+TW+

(Secret Base)

Brainiac sat as Nam-Ek and Aethyr discussed the attack on the fortress once the League was distracted by Doomsday being released. He was more interested in making sure Lex was ready for being taken over by Zod’s spirit when it was time. He knew the general’s body would not have been able to survive in the zone thanks to the memories of his future self. He growled as he recalled tricking Kal-El into releasing Zod into Lex, only for him to somehow return from the zone and save the Earth and once again and banishing Zod. 

He never learned the details, but he had to make sure that this time Zod survived as he had in the future, the war must start. He stood and walked over to where a dozen meteor freaks were readied for the war. At the moment they had the advantage, each was subjected to Luthor’s process which would turn them insane and increase their powers before they were injected with a chip, which would keep them under control. 

As time passed more and more of the League would become active or arrive on Earth and begin to fight against them hence making it more difficult to remain ahead. Luthor’s henchman Jackson, Sinestro and Deathstroke were out subduing more meteor freaks and trying to find more allies. 

Once Doomsday was released they would begin the attack he decided, yes most of them would head for the fortress to release Zod, but it wouldn’t hurt to send some of the meteor freaks out to attack certain places drawing more of the League away and making it harder for them to counter their plan. It should give them enough time to open the portal to the zone and retrieve general Zod and get out without too much trouble, he smirked as he turned and began to give orders. 

+TW+

(Space)

Clark opened his eyes shocked to find himself floating in space, he looked around wondering how he came to be here before it all came rushing back to him and he realized Kal-El had released control of their body back to him. He could still feel the presence of Kal-El in the back of his mind, ready should he be needed and he was relieved by this. He remembered the blind panic and pure hate he had felt during the attack and somehow he had managed to create an alternate personality based on his future self, thanks mostly to the memories and emotions he carried. 

He turned and edged closer to the sun soaking in the rays boosting his strength for what was to come. Now that he knew Brainiac was on Earth along with Nam-Ek and Aethyr he knew things were going to heat up all the more and he didn’t know how to stop it. He stopped and listened as he could basically hear Kal-El tell him they would deal with what came any way they could. He nodded before turning and shooting back down to the fortress as fast as he could go.

+TW+

(Lex’s Limo)

Lex couldn’t help laughing as he saw the sheriff storm back into the station after letting him go. His lawyers had indeed come through for him and got him released. He sighed as he sat back and watched the passing scenery, wishing he had more time to further wind up the woman, but he had more important things to do. He quickly phoned Jackson for an update and his eyes took a dark glint as he heard how close his team was to unearthing the dangerous alien, Brainiac had told him about, which could possible kill Clark. 

“Excellent Jackson, I’ll be there shortly,” he said before hanging up. 

+TW+

(Fortress of Solitude)

Clark hit the ground hard as he landed, but he quickly shook it off and walked inside smiling as he passed Jade, Bart and Chloe which were arguing over something. He was just pleased to see them alive again. The memories of his future self seemed so much closer to him now, thanks to what he had done, he came to a halt before the main console.

“Father, I’m back in control. Kal-El has managed to fade into the background, ready if I should need him,” he stated. 

“I take it my guess was correct? You created the persona thanks to the shock of the attack and the anger and hate you experienced?” Jor-El inquired as Lionel and Dax-Ur approached. 

“Yes, I didn’t want to fail again at a critical point as my future self did,” Clark admitted. “He had a chance to kill Lex and stop Zod and he failed, leading to hundreds of deaths and I refuse to allow history to repeat itself. So I decided to do something else with the memories and emotions he sent back,” he explained 

“Very clever Clark, but dangerous,” Lionel said with a small smile. “You ran the risk of losing yourself and never being able to regain control and Kal-El had no connection to anyone but Raya and Diana and those of us who still live in your future,” he went on. “I suggest you return to the farm and reassure Lana and your parents you are still alive,” he suggested with a pat on Clark’s back. 

“I came to a very real conclusion Lionel just as the attack happened, nothing and no-one is more important than stopping Lex and his allies,” Clark said after a few moments. “If I have to lose Lana due to whatever actions I take to end this then so be it. I’m willing to pay that price because the alternative is just too horrible to face anymore,” he added.

“What brought this on Kal-El?” Dax-Ur asked. 

“The memories of the future are so much more clearer to me now and I know I must put aside any side quests I might have had and concentrate on fighting and stopping Lex and bringing Kal-El to life is one way of doing just that,” Clark answered. 

“I hope you are not making a mistake here Clark, I really do,” Lionel said not too sure if this was the right course of action or not and he could tell Jor-El was just as unsure as he was. “But I respect your commitment to this task,” he added before walking off with Dax-Ur who look troubled by his choice. 

“Kal-El,” Clark turned to find Bruce and Oliver behind him. “We need to start planning another attack on one of Luthor’s labs before he becomes entrenched,” Bruce said. 

“No, I think we should stick together. I have the feeling something big is about to go down and we will need all of us to try and counter it so stay alert,” Clark said after thinking it over for a few moments before making his choice.

Bruce and Oliver looked at each before nodding and accepting his reason before heading off. Bruce went to talk to Talia and Ra, while Oliver went to talk to Lois. He sighed before seeking out Raya and Diana and letting them know he had regained control and for a few minutes he felt at peace before an alarm began to sound inside the fortress and he felt his stomach clench.

+TW+

(Fortress of Solitude)

Jonathan, Martha, Lana and Chloe entered the fortress to find it in complete chaos with the alarm going off full blast and most of the league was shouting over one another until Jor-El commanded silence. 

“Father what is going on?” Clark demanded as he pushed his way to the control console.

The alarm went silent as Jor-El answered. “After learning that Brainiac was on earth I began monitoring the coordinates where Doomsday’s prison ship rests, believing they would attempt to release him and I have been proven correct,” he informed them all. “There is a team closing in on the ship as we speak and also attacks have begun in Metropolis and Washington D.C, clearly they intend to split our forces and draw you into a serious conflict,” he added.

“How big are the attacks Jor-El?” Bart inquired from next to Clark.

“Large enough to cause serious damage to both people and property, they are both led by Luthor’s allies,” Jor-El answered.

“They are making their move to draw us away from the fortress and ensure they have their chance to free Zod,” Raya put in as she moved closer to Clark. 

“I agree,” Clark said with a nod and everyone could see how tense he had become. “Bruce pick a team and head for Washington do everything you can to stop them no matter what it takes,” Clark ordered after thinking it over for a few seconds. “And don’t let your personal feelings get in the way if Bane is there, we need you to stay focused, okay?” he added as he looked to the older hero. 

“I understand Kal-El,” Bruce said after staring at him for a few seconds before conceding the point “I would point out the same when you go to face this Doomsday, especially if he is as dangerous as you made out,” he shot back, making sure he was in full control of his bottled rage. 

“I know and at the moment you are talking to Clark I managed to regain control or Kal-El managed to release control back to me, but he is still within me ready if needed and against Doomsday I will need every advantage I can get,” Clark responded, knowing Bruce was correct as both of them had personal battles to fight in this. “Oliver, you’ll lead the team that defends Metropolis. Same orders stand win any way you can,” he said turning to his blond haired ally. 

Lana, the Kent’s and Chloe all looked relieved when they heard it mentioned that Clark was back in control of himself. Lana especially felt relieved and tried to push forward, but couldn’t break through the people in front of her 

“Kal-El, do you truly intend to allow Brainiac and Luthor into the fortress unopposed so they can free Zod?” Diana inquired, somewhat worried about him facing Doomsday alone just as much as them not defending the fortress as she knew Raya was as well. 

“We have no choice Diana,” Clark said with a pained look. “We need everyone to repel this attack and should things not go well with my fight with Doomsday I will need you all to help push him back, but you are only to come to my aid if you defeat your own targets, remember there are people counting on us to stop them, even if they don’t know about us yet,” he explained his reasoning. “Lana, I want you to allow Isobel to take control and join Oliver’s team. Mom, you dad and Chloe need to head back to the farm and Dax-Ur,” he went on before being cut off. 

“I will fight Kal-El,” Dax-Ur said with a resolute look upon his face. “The more people we have the better chance we have of forcing them back and maybe taking some of them down, my chip for Brainiac is almost done and should be ready by the end of the week,” he continued. 

“Kal-El the team has reached the ship and has begun to try and break its shell,” Jor-El reported. “And just to remind you the fortress will not be undefended as I have brought ten cyborgs online and they should at least delay them for a time,” he put in. 

“So we have a window to beat our targets and get back here in time to stop them opening the portal which frees Zod?” Raya said with a nod. “Then I suggest we move now,” she added.

“I agree, everyone take care and good luck,” Clark said as he spun in place and donned his uniform followed by Kara and the others. “I’ll see you soon,” he said before kissing Raya, Diana and finally Lana before taking off and heading for Doomsday, watched by the League before they also split up and headed out. 

Jonathan, Martha and Chloe stood alone in the fortress for a few minutes as the cyborgs took up positions to defend it before using their crystals to leave, hoping and praying everything would go fine. 

+TW+

(Secret base)

Lex stood off to the side as he watched the team that would accompany him and Brainiac to the fortress, which included Nam-Ek and Aethyr. He felt energized as the reports began to filter in that the league had indeed committed itself to stopping the attacks on Washington which Bane and Joker were leading and those on Metropolis itself, which were led by Sinestro and Deathstroke.

Everything was moving closer to an end and he knew Clark must be heading for the team which was about to release Doomsday, a creature that according to Brainiac could kill him. He smiled at the thought before pausing and listening to the report from Riddler that some that looked a lot like Lana was a part of the group defending Metropolis and his smile deepened as he ordered her captured. 

“You still intend to have her as your consort?” Brainiac asked, somewhat annoyed by Luthor’s obsession with the brunette girl, but knowing she would be useful to breed heirs for Zod once she had been broken and conditioned and it would hurt Kal-El a lot if he survived Doomsday. 

“I do, it will drive Clark mad,” Lex said, laughing at the mere thought of the pain it would cause his former friend. “Are we ready?” he asked, turning to more important matters. 

“The ship has been breached and Doomsday has been freed,” Jackson shouted from behind them. “They managed to use that crystal you gave them so he is under control,” he added, as he listened to what the team was saying through his phone. 

“We are now,” Brainiac said with a smile of his own. “The league will be so distracted by our attacks they will not be able to counter us at the fortress in time to stop us releasing Zod,” he explained.

“What about the fortress’s defenses?” Nam-Ek inquired. 

“Useless thanks to the black ship which now hovers overhead and is broadcasting a signal to shut them down. However it will only last two hours maximum, more than enough time for us to do our part,” Brainiac answered. 

“Then let us go,” Lex said, wanting to get this over with and release Zod so he could deliver the world to him, without a clue he was about to be sacrificed to bring Zod back to life by his allies, blinded by his greed and lust for power. 

Brainiac nodded and shared a brief glance with Nam-Ek and Aethyr before he picked up a crystal which would transport them to the black ship and from there to the fortress. Lex looked around once before he and his group vanished.

+TW+

(Metropolis)

Oliver and his group arrived to see the city in chaos as the meteor freaks rained down destruction on every and anything they could see. He could see a few costumed villains which he guessed were leading the attack before drawing his bow and moving to intercept them, followed by his team which consisted of Obsidian, Isobel (Lana), Kara, Kyle, Helena, Diana, Donna and Zatanna.

Kyle quickly took to the air and engaged Sinestro knowing he would prove a very dangerous enemy. Kara and Diana headed for Deathstroke, while Isobel and Donna faced off against Riddler and a meteor freak who had quickly rushed them. Helena, Obsidian and Zatanna quickly split up and began to attack the oncoming meteor freaks that seemed to forget about the civilians and concentrate on them instead, which they considered to be a good thing as it meant it limited the civilian casualties.

+TW+

(Washington D.C)

Bruce barely stopped to look around before charging one of the meteor freaks as his team consisting of Raya, Dick, Bart, J'onn, Jade, Arthur, Dax-Ur, and Jor-El (Lionel) quickly followed, all of them intent on stopping the rampage that was tearing the city apart.

Raya and Dax-Ur waded into three of the meteor freaks as they attacked a small group of people huddled in a nearby ally, just managing to stop them from killing any of them. Dax-Ur, while old and nowhere near his prime, could still fight and he made sure each shot counted, knowing there was a lot on the line in this fight. 

Bart shot forward moving people out of harm’s way while Jade covered him. Arthur began by busting open any nearby fire hydrant and using the water to create spears, which he hurled at the freaks as fast as he could. Dick vaulted onto a nearby building and began hurling batarangs at the meteor freaks, hoping to knock some of them out of the fight quickly.

Jor-El, Bruce and J'onn headed for the leaders of the attack hoping that if they took them down it would cause the attack to flounder. Jor-El took on Joker, leaving Bruce to face off against Bane. J’onn faced off against Toyman hoping Kal-El had not made a mistake by insisting he take on Doomsday alone.

+TW+

(Outside Metropolis) 

Clark hit the ground as hard as he could shocked to the find Doomsday already waiting for him, this confused him somewhat as the last time Doomsday went on a rampage once he had woken up and it was only later, once Brainiac had done something to him, that he had been more stable and in some ways a much more dangerous enemy. 

He noticed the trucks of Luthor’s team pulling away as fast as they could and he decided to ignore them and concentrate on the real threat. He looked up, happy that at least the sun was fully out which would boost him and keep him in the fight longer. He clenched his fists tightly before lifting off a few feet into the air and then suddenly launched himself at the waiting monster, only to be sent flying backwards by its sudden right hook and he cursed himself for not remembering this thing was fast defying its size. He jumped back up and barely managed to block the attack that the creature launched and they quickly began exchanging blows only for him to be caught again, this time in the side of his head and he was sent reeling backwards.

The creature roared in bloodlust before attacking again. It jumped up and then came crashing down ramming his fist into Clark’s chest and knocking him again to the ground only this time he coughed up some blood and he knew he had to try harder. He quickly jumped back to his feet and began to use his super speed to stay out of the creatures reach and land some solid blows. This worked for a few minutes before Doomsday lifted its huge fists into the air and then brought them down into the ground causing a shockwave to shoot outward from the crater it created which again took him off his feet allowing Doomsday to get the jump on him and he was forced backwards towards the city as the monster rained down blow after blow which he just managed to deflect, although one or two managed to break through and inflict a lot of pain, more than he had ever felt in any fight before.  
29\. Chapter 29

(Fortress of Solitude)

As soon as Lex and his team entered the amazing building they were attacked by what looked like cyborgs. Brainiac confirmed what they were before he charged forward and rammed his fist through the chest of one of the things causing it to explode. He looked around and watched as Nam-Ek, Aethyr and Brainiac had little trouble handling the cyborgs, but the three meteor freaks and his bodyguards had more trouble and were brought down easily by painful blows to their head, back and chest. One of them quickly attacked him, but he easily dodged thanks to the upgrade from the crystals before launching a right hand which staggered the cyborg before it suddenly went rigid as a blast of heat hit it in the back before burning through and destroying it. 

“I expected more from Kal-El,” Brainiac spat as he looked down at the destroyed cyborg as the last two were destroyed by Nam-Ek and Aethyr and Lex noted only the three Kryptonians were left standing. 

“Clark was never that bright,” Lex responded. “He didn’t even set them to kill, just disable,” he noted as he bent down and examined the destroyed cyborg noting it was like nothing he had seen before, reminding him he was dealing with aliens here. 

“The fortress is ours,” Aethyr said with a short smile. “We must release Zod quickly,” she added moving over to the console before she was sent flying backwards as an electrical discharge hit her dead in the chest causing massive damage. 

“I think not,” Jor-El’s voice stated, the anger in his voice clear to them all as Nam-Ek checked on Aethyr who while still alive was badly wounded and would take time to heal. 

“You just don’t know when to quit old man do you?” Brainiac growled cursing the long dead fool and wishing he had not encoded himself into the crystal of knowledge that created the fortress. 

“You will fail Brainiac even if you succeed in releasing Zod,” Jor-El responded. “My son will see to that and Earth will be saved, as for you Luthor you are a fool if you trust what you have been told,” he continued. “In a few minutes you will no longer be Lex Luthor,” he added knowing it was pointless trying to reason with the man, but he decided it couldn’t hurt to try and cause some friction between them.

“Like I’m going to listen to some voice inside a computer that Clark created,” Lex scoffed with a shake of his head. “I will soon be granted enough power to rule the world alongside Zod,” he went on with a crazed smirk on his face, missing the almost amused looks the three Kryptonians shared between themselves. 

“You are a fool and you will not live to regret your mistake,” Jor-El said before he went silent and transferred the rest of his spirit to his avatar Lionel for safe keeping until they had left. 

When the lights within the fortress darkened Lex turned to question Brainiac only to see him grin so he relaxed considering it must not be something too important.

“Jor-El has left the fortress for his avatar which just happens to be your father,” Brainiac explained. “Which leaves us free to open the portal and release General Zod so be quiet and let me work,” he continued before moving to the control console.

+T+

(Metropolis)

Isobel cursed as the Riddler continued to dodge her attacks, he was somehow managing to move at just the right time to get clear and she was becoming annoyed. The fight had changed once he had managed to take Donna out of the fight with a well planted gas attack which had knocked the Amazon princess out cold and she had also been separated from the rest of her team and she was worried by this. She ducked the Riddler’s attempt to hit her with another of the gas canisters he had on a belt around his waist and she began to feel she had been maneuvered into a trap 

Oliver released his arrow on target taking the meteor freak down as an electrical shock of high magnitude ran through it, he had created them after their first engagements against these seemly enhanced foes and he knew there was a good chance the shock would kill them, but there was no way to save them from whatever Lex had done to them and the damage they had caused to both life and property was more than enough reason to use them. 

He looked up for a few seconds as Kyle and Sinestro exchanged attacks with their power rings and he winced as Kyle was plunged into the roof of a building by a glowing fist. He was relieved as Kyle pushed himself back to his feet and rose to meet his foe again. Kara and Diana were finally gaining ground on Deathstroke who began to grow tired of fighting two superior enemies in all areas and even the enhancement drugs Luthor had given him didn’t help him keep pace and as he dodged another shot from the blond haired woman he took a hard knock from behind from the brunette and he cursed as he stumbled only to catch a fist that took him down right in the center of his chest and he looked up to see Obsidian had somehow worked his way into the fight and he rolled away and took a quick look around noting nearly all of the meteor freaks were down. Some of them looked dead and he cursed before looking around for Sinestro and noting he was still in the air fighting Green Lantern in what looked like a death match and Riddler was nowhere to be seen. 

“Surrender,” Obsidian ordered as his three foes surrounded him. 

Instead of answering he slowly worked his hand into his hidden pocked and withdrew a poisoned dagger before he tried to launch himself at the blond only to be met with a deadly fist which hit him in the face and knocked him to the ground and he began coughing up blood and he was thankful his mask had been ruined so he wouldn’t suffocate. 

Kara had been ready for such a move as she had read the files Bruce had on this man and she knew he was a deadly assassin and people like that always had some kind of hidden pockets on them with daggers inside so she had put almost her entire strength into the blow and she knew there was a good chance the man could die from the blow. 

“We’re almost done,” Obsidian told them. “Green Arrow and Zatanna are finishing up the last two meteor freaks and I think Green Lantern is winning his fight,” he reported to the two women. 

“Where is Isobel?” Diana inquired looking around for Lana’s possessed form, suddenly feeling a cold chill run down her spine. 

“I have no idea, she was over there near the ruins of that pub last time I saw her,” Obsidian replied frowning as he thought about it.

“Spread out and look for her,” Kara ordered as she took to the sky and began to search for the missing brunette. 

Isobel coughed as she tried to regain her feet after taking a hard shot to her ribs from an unexpected attack from a meteor freak which had snuck up on her. Now she was on the defensive and she knew she could not hold out long as her energy had almost all been used up and she hoped her allies would find her soon before a blow to the back of her head knocked her cold and the last thought she had was she had failed to protect Lana and let Kal-El down.

Riddler laughed as her watched his target fall to the ground unconscious from the blow the second meteor freak had landed and finally ended the fight. He quickly secured the woman and left the battlefield along with the two meteor freaks. 

+T+

(Washington D.C)

The fight in the capital had been hard, but it was slowly been brought under control as the meteor freaks were brought down as fast as they could, but the fights with the leaders of the attacks were far more deadly and Bruce was truly looking worse for wear as he fought Bane hand to hand, taking the worst the assassin had to give. Jor-El in Lionel’s body was easily able to match Joker’s deadly games as the insane clown tried to use his deadly toys to bring him down and just off to the side J’onn was easily able to handle Toyman.

Raya and Dax-Ur continued to use their superior strength and speed to kill the insane meteor freaks, knowing from their previous fights these poor souls were truly lost and there was nothing they could do for them. Arthur had run out of fire hydrants to use and was now teaming with Bart to fight them while Jade used her own powers to take down the meteor freaks with as much force as she could muster knowing they had to end the fight quickly.

Toyman finally crumpled to the ground unable to dodge or take anymore of J’onn’s blows while Joker decided the game was up and he used the device Brainiac had given him to retreat, but Bane remained, intent on killing Batman once and for all but before he could advance on the man again he was flung into a nearby building by J’onn and as he got back to his feet he noted he was outnumbered and quickly fled as well, knowing he would get another shot at the Bat soon enough. 

“Are you okay Bruce?” Jor-El inquired as he watched the man push himself to his feet. 

“I will be. I took some bad blows, but I should be fine,” Bruce responded as he looked around and noted the fight was finally over as Jade took down the last meteor freak. “At least we won,” he stated. 

“Yes but still there was heavy damage to the city and life lost but we did the best we could,” J’onn agreed. “Now we must head for Kal-El and ensure he survives his own fight. I have word from Oliver that they have also defeated the group attacking Metropolis and are heading for Kal-El as well, however he also reports Lana is missing,” he explained as the rest of the group came to a halt in front of them. 

“Missing, what the hell happened to her?” Arthur asked. 

“It has been speculated that she has been captured after being separated from the rest of the team,” J’onn replied. 

“This is bad, but sadly the fact we managed to drive both attacks off without them causing too much bloodshed among the civilian population more than warrants her sacrifice,” Jor-El put in, knowing this would be a blow for Kal-El to take, but even his son had admitted this was bigger than anyone of them. 

“We will just have to hope we can save her later, for now we must save Kal-El,” Raya cut off any more talk, worried how Kal-El would take this but she was more concerned for his survival against Doomsday. “Let’s go,” she said, bringing her transport crystal out and setting the destination for the sight of Doomsday’s prison ship followed by the others.

+TW+

(Metropolis entryway) 

Clark almost groaned as he landed on the hard ground. The blows from Doomsday were powerful, more so than any he had felt before, except from his memories of the future and at least with them he had not remembered the full pain that this creature could bring down on him. He slowly pushed himself back to his feet, noting they were now at the entrance bridge to Metropolis and that meant very soon they would begin to encounter people if he did not manage to slow the brute down. 

He just barely managed to ward off another blow, but again it knocked him a few feet backwards and he could feel the ground give way beneath him as he strained to push the creature back. Taking a risk he lashed out with one of his legs and managed to knock it off balance, allowing him to land as many blows as he could on it, but the thing just took them barely flinching but it made it moving backwards slowly until it suddenly moved forward and caught both of his arms and then head butted him, sending him to the ground and he could feel he had a broken nose as was beginning to bleed. 

He lay on the ground for a few moments until a huge foot came down at him and he quickly rolled out of the way cursing himself for letting himself lose focus. He jumped back to his feet and charged forward only to be nailed in the chest with a two handed blow that sent him flying into the city through three buildings and straight into an area filled with people who quickly began screaming as Doomsday came crashing down intent on finishing his prey who was weakly trying to get back up as he coughed up blood.  
30\. Chapter 30

(Fortress of Solitude)

Lex watched as Brainiac worked on the control console before taking a better look at the fortress itself, he was truly amazed at the level of technology involved to create something so big so quickly without anyone been the wiser. He also noted how different it was from earth technology, it was less mechanical and more like a piece of art which glowed, the power it spoke off filled a small part of him with fear until he remembered he now had the same kind of power as these people thanks to him getting his hands on the stones of power. 

He was startled out of his thoughts as his phone went off and he quickly answered, he listened as the Riddler reported he had been successful in capturing Lana Lang and he smiled widely at the mere thought of it. He quickly ordered that she be put through the same sessions that had broken the meteor freaks. He frowned somewhat as he was told she seemed to have two different personalities before he recalled Lana been possessed by a witch named Isobel and so he ordered that she had the power collar put around her neck which was to ensure it was Lana who was broken and keep Isobel under lock and key before hanging up. 

“We have Lana and I’ve ordered her immediate conversion to our cause,” he said walking over to Brainiac. “This time I will not give Clark a chance to ruin my plans for her,” he added, his smile still firmly planted on his face as Brainiac turned to face him with his own smirk. 

“Good she will make a good queen for General Zod,” Brainiac said almost laughing at how gullible this human was before he finally unlocked the portal to the zone and quickly released Zod.

Lex screamed and fell to his knees as a bright red light struck him from the portal which appeared behind him, he could barely breathe and had also lost focus. He had been betrayed, he fumbled for his gun which held bullets coated in the green meteor rocks, but he found his hands were no longer obeying his commands. 

“Say goodbye Lex Luthor as you now become the host of General Zod,” Aethyr said her face filled with delight as she watched the rebirth of her master alongside Nam-Ek. 

Lex closed his eyes and tried one desperate gamble to escape the red light, but now his whole body would no longer obey his commands and slowly he felt himself loose more and more focus and it felt almost as if he was falling asleep before he collapsed completely unconscious. 

“He should not have fallen unconscious,” Nam-Ek questioned Brainiac somewhat confused 

“He did this time because I altered how the transfer would happen to ensure he could not be exercised by the crystal of El like he was in the future,” Brainiac explained. “Our lord must not have such a weakness this time,” he added. “Now pick him up and let us leave before the league returns,” he ordered before quickly heading for the exit followed by Nam-Ek who carried Zod and Aethyr.

“What about the Fortress?” Aethyr inquired looking back at the structure. 

“We’ll be back for it when the league is destroyed and Kal-El lies dead at Zod’s feet,” Brainiac assured her before all three took flight and left. 

+TW+

(Secret Base)

Isobel screamed from inside Lana’s mind unable to aid her host after the collar was put on her. She had hoped to be able to escape, but for some reason the collar seemed to keep her power locked down. She could do nothing as whatever Luthor had planned began, she believed it was some kind of means of brainwashing Lana and making her compliant with Luthor’s goals. 

Had she a body she would have broken down and cried knowing she had failed Kal-El as she had failed Xan-El when she had been corrupted by the Teague family in their search for the stones, only this time Lana would pay the brunt of her failure and there was nothing she could do to save her but wait and hope the others would eventually come for them, but by then she feared it would already be too late at, least for Lana.

+TW+

(Metropolis)

“As you see Metropolis is once again been torn apart by a vicious battle between a creature of unknown origin who seems to process enormous strength and a costumed protector who is new to the scene, but seems to be intent on stopping the monster and this is just ten minutes after this city and Washington D.C itself was ripped apart by a raging battle between Batman, Green Lantern and an assortment of other costumed heroes mostly new ones against an alliance of some of the world’s worst criminals Including the Joker, Riddler and Deathstroke who seemed to be leading a small army of insane madmen who had access to powers never seen before,” the reporter paused as a nearby building shook before continuing. 

“We have no idea why this war has suddenly broken out, but it does seem certain it will continue and that this is not an isolated incident, we’ve had no word from the government or police sources and so we can only watch and wait and pray whoever this costumed hero is, that he can stop this beast before he causes even more damage and takes more lives, this is Kelly Benson of the Daily News reporting,” she continued before sighing off and quickly got out of the way of the fight, but made sure her cameraman continued to shoot. 

Across from where she had been reporting Clark was leaning against the destroyed wall of what had once been a shop, he was bleeding from multiple wounds and his strength was rapidly failing him, but he refused to stay down. He wondered briefly how everyone else was doing before shaking his head and focusing on the task at hand, it was time to push Kal-El back into control of his body because he had no clue how to even slow Doomsday down, let alone kill him and so he closed his eyes and concentrated hard on Kal-El. 

Kal-El suddenly looked around and noted he was back in control, he groaned as he came to realize what kind of shape he was in. This was not good, especially against Doomsday, he floated into the sky to get closer to the suns healing rays only for something to grab his foot and jerk him back to earth with enough force to make his head strike the pavement, which hurt a lot and he noted Doomsday was on him once more. 

However he was more than up to defending himself even at half strength and badly injured having survived multiple fights with this creature and so he quickly used his heat ray at full power to burn a scorching wound on the things chest forcing him back which allowed him to get back to his feet before he launched himself forward and swung his fists up as hard as he could and managed to catch the beast right in its face as it came back at him and sent it sailing into the street with enough force to break the road up. He looked around as police cars came to a screeching halt around them and they quickly took up defense positions with their weapons all armed and pointed at Doomsday.

Doomsday quickly got back to its feet only to back off as it was hit from all sides by gunfire causing it to roar in anger and irritation before it quickly charged the nearest of his attackers and destroying it easily and sending the police officers around it flying and killing one outright. 

Kal-El quickly attacked again before more of the cops could be killed, he was sent staggering backwards as Doomsday caught him coming and nailed him with a right hook. He shook his head and started forward again only for Kara and Raya to come from behind him and combine their strikes to send Doomsday to the floor where Diana and Donna quickly descended on him, followed by Dax-Ur and Jor-El. He allowed himself to collapse to his knees as the rest of the League arrived and took up positions as Doomsday quickly got back to its feet and vanished just as Kara and Raya came back at it. 

Silence descended as they all looked around at the destruction the city had undergone through both attacks as the police saw to their wounded and dead and people appeared to cheer them as well as a reporter who quickly ran over to Batman who just stood behind Green Arrow. 

“Batman, can you tell us just what is happening?” Kelly Benson asked noting some of the League check on the wounded members who had fought the beast. 

“A war has begun started by Joker and his allies. I and people like me who wish to protect this world have banded together to stop them,” Batman answered after staring at the reporter for a few seconds. 

Kelly was startled, the dark knight had actually replied to her question as he usually avoided the media, but she quickly shook off her surprise and plunged on knowing this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

“Where did some of your allies come from? Most of them have never been seen before,” she asked. 

“New they maybe, but I have no doubt of their loyalty to the cause of protecting this world from the likes of Joker and his ilk,” Batman responded. “This is just the beginning, they will be back and the Justice League will be ready to fight them whenever and wherever they strike,” he added before he activated his crystal along with the others and vanished leaving a stunned crowd and worldwide audience. 

“This is Kelly Benson and I have just witnessed the end of a titanic battle which according to Batman is the opening shots of a war between what he called the Justice League and an alliance of criminals. He stated quite clearly that he and his friends stand ready to defend us wherever and whenever they strike,” the reporter quickly spoke turning to her cameraman. “What this means I can’t even guess at this time, but I think it is clear more cities can expect to find themselves a battleground when these two sides meet. The attacks in Washington and Metropolis itself caused widespread damage and the list of fatalities is growing as is the list of injured and we can only hope the government can respond quickly so if this does occur again the people will not be caught so unaware,” she stated before signing off and looking around and felt a well of dread creep up inside her at the idea of this happening again, because if it did it meant she’d have to cover it and risk her life again.

+TW+

(Fortress of Solitude) 

Raya and Kara quickly laid Kal-El down and allowed Dax-Ur to check him over as the rest of the League sat down and took stock of what had happened. The fortress came back to life as Jor-El returned to the structure and quickly began scanning to make sure Brainiac didn’t leave any surprises for them in the system. 

“Did you really think it wise to say what you did Bruce?” Arthur inquired, feeling tired and wanting a good rest. 

“Yes, best we get our side out first to the people before Luthor or someone working for him and his friends paints us as the bad guys,” Bruce responded. “It will also put the people and the governments on alert making it harder for Luthor and his allies to succeed in their goals,” he continued as he pulled his mask down.

“Luthor is no longer who he was,” Jor-El interrupted 

“Then Brainiac succeeded and managed to release Zod,” Raya said feeling her anger spike at the mention of the man who had destroyed their planet been free. 

“He did and he made sure Zod can’t be removed from his vessel through the crystal I gave you Raya. He altered the process to make sure Zod remained in this world,” Jor-El informed them. 

“So what do we do now?” Bart spoke. 

“We rest and recover first of all,” Oliver put in. “And then we get ready for this to escalate as we knew it would once Zod was released,” he added. “We managed to stop them this time without taking any casualties, next time we may not be so lucky,” he continued. 

“We should try and recruit some more members because I doubt Joker and Zod himself will not try and add to their numbers,” Kara suggested. 

“A good idea Kara,” Kal-El said as he pushed himself into a sitting position, ignoring Dax-Ur’s advice to stay lying down. “Bruce I want you, Dick and Helena to return to Gotham and find Selina Kyle and recruit her and Batgirl too,” he went on. 

“Very well, although I am reluctant to pull Barbara into this, but I guess we’re going to need the help,” Bruce said with a nod and he, Dick and Helena vanished. 

“Oliver I want you and Bart to track down Ray Palmer also known as Atom as we know he is active somewhere in the mid-west. If you can’t find him leave it and get back,” Kal-El continued.

“No problem Clark,” Oliver said as he and Bart nodded and quickly vanished as well. 

“Is there anyone else out there who is active or just about to become active we can contact Clark?” Jade inquired.

“Black Canary will be active next year, but apart from that the majority are either half way across the world and we have no time to track them down or they are not active or on Earth at the moment,” Kal-El responded. “Hawkman and Hawkwoman will not arrive on Earth for another five years and even then it would take us time to find them, time we may not have,” he added with a shake of his head wishing it was not so before he closed his eyes and allowed Clark to resume control. 

“We’ll make do with what we have Kal-El,” Jor-El spoke up, deciding to move things along. “There is some bad news my son you have not yet been told,” he continued just as Chloe, the Kent’s, Talia and Ra returned to the fortress.

“And what is that father?” Clark asked tiredly wanting nothing more than to lie down and rest for a long while. 

When no one answered he looked around and noted how everyone seemed tense and then he noted someone was missing and he felt his heart clench where he realized who it was. 

“Where is Lana?” he demanded to know as he forced himself to his feet.

“I’m afraid she was captured during the fight in Metropolis,” Raya spoke up. “She somehow got separated from the main area we were fighting in, none of us knew she was missing until they retreated and the majority of the meteor freaks were dealt with,” she continued. “I am sorry Kal-El,” she said worried about her friend, but more so on how this would affect her lover. 

Diana watched as Kal-El processed this news as Martha Kent quickly began shouting in anger, ignoring her husband as he tried to calm her down. Chloe collapsed into a chair in shock, but everyone else watched Clark for his reaction. 

Clark closed his eyes feeling the well of anger, hate and fear that threatened to overwhelm him, but he managed to somehow force it back down. He knew more than ever before that this was bigger than any one person and he could not rush off on a rescue mission for her as he would have done before this happened. He couldn’t put the world at risk again just for Lana, no matter how much it hurt. 

One of the reasons things had got so bad in the future was because he continually put her before the world and his destiny, foolishly believing she was more important. He could not be so selfish this time, he could not go and he could send no one else either because they were all needed. Which meant Lana was on her own as was Isobel and he could only prey they would survive unharmed until they could be rescued, although he knew that was a foolish hope.

“There is nothing we can do for Lana,” he finally spoke as he opened his eyes and everyone could see the pain this decision was causing him. “We can’t risk everything for any person no matter who it is. I would expect the same choice from you, even if it was me who had been captured,” he continued before his mother cut him off. 

“Clark how can you abandon Lana? You can’t just leave her in Lex’s clutches,” she shouted, unaware Lex had been processed by Zod. “She loves and trust you and you must go and save her,” she pressed, pushing Jonathan away as he tried to pull her back. 

“I can’t mom,” Clark argued with a shake of his head. “We don’t even know where their new base is, and even if we did, how do you expect me to get to her through the numbers he has there which now includes Zod himself?” he continued. “I know it sounds cold, but this fight is more important than anyone of us. You think that I want to leave her there? You think I don’t want to try and save her? Well I do, nearly every fiber of my being is screaming at me to try, but I know it would be a mistake, one that could cost me my life or the life of anyone I sent,” he stressed, trying to make his mother understand. “I’m sorry if you don’t understand or if you think I am been cruel, but rescuing Lana will have to wait,” he added before he flew off into the sky and straight into space hoping for some time to himself. 

“How could he?” Martha whispered, horrified at her son’s choice. 

“He made the only choice he could Martha,” Jonathan responded as he led his wife away from the league to where Chloe sat. “As much as it hurts, he is right. This whole thing is bigger than any one person, he has to put his personal feelings aside and concentrate on stopping the world from being destroyed. Which is why he received his future memories, remember?” he reminded her and Chloe who quickly joined the conversation.

“But he’s always gone after Lana before,” Chloe stated, trying to understand her friends choice. 

“And to him that is properly one of things that led to the world been destroyed,” Jonathan told them, having guessed a lot about what his son believed since he received the memories of his future self. “He believes he was never where he needed to be because he was always busy saving Lana. Well he is not willing to do that this time and he fears that if he did, it would cause the very thing he is trying to stop,” he added. 

Martha and Chloe stared at him before both shook their heads still not truly understanding why Clark had refused to act. Jonathan sighed, knowing this was not going to be sorted out any time soon.

+TW+

(Secret Base)

Zod’s eyes snapped open and he quickly got to his feet before pausing as he realized he once again had a body, he smiled as he felt real flesh again. He looked around and noted Brainiac, Nam-Ek and Aethyr kneeling before him and his smile widened as he realized he truly was out of the zone. 

“Well done my servants,” he said. “Where are we?” he asked. 

“Earth, General. The same place where Kal-El, son of Jor-El, lives,” Nam-Ek reported as they stood up. “Other followers of Jor-El are here as well including his cousin Kara and Raya,” he continued. “Also Jor-El himself is here although he is restricted to the Fortress of Knowledge and his vessel,” he went on, knowing his master would want to know. 

“So the last stand of the house of El will take place on this sad ball of mud,” Zod mused. “Still I will kill each and every one of the El’s,” he said, his eyes alight at the very idea. 

“My lord much more is going on here, please sit and I will tell you the whole story,” Brainiac finally spoke. 

Zod stared at the A.I for a few seconds before sitting down and listened as he told him everything that was going on. Halfway through he felt like killing someone, as he learnt of events to come that hadn’t happened yet and now would not happen including his defeat at the hands of the son of Jor-El, something he found hard to fathom.

+TW+   
(Space)

Clark floated in space close to the sun and while the healing rays of the yellow star made him feel safe it did nothing to calm the internal argument that raged inside him over Lana’s fate and the choice he had made to leave her where she was without even trying to save her. 

A large part of him knew it had been the right choice to make as things were quickly descending into madness and the future he was so desperate to stop from coming into existence was well on its way to becoming reality and he could not afford to sacrifice anyone including himself in a suicidal and most likely pointless rescue attempt. However a smaller part of him rebelled at the idea and wanted to take action, something he knew he would have done before he received his future self’s memories and realized just how many mistakes he had made and would make when it came to Lana. 

He could no longer be there just for her, he had to see the big picture. He was no longer blind to what damage rejecting who he truly was could bring not only onto himself, but those he cared for and Earth in general. Lana, he believed, would understand this if she was here and so he would just have to accept his mothers and Chloe’s objections and anger for what he knew had to be done. 

He was surprised when he opened his eyes to find Raya floating in front of him with a concerned look on her face and he smiled taking in her beauty and especially been drawn into her eyes. She gave him a motion to follow her and he quickly did so, flying back to Earth behind her. 

+TW+

(Secret Base)

Lana groaned and tried to focus, but she was finding it more and more difficult to remember who she was and why she was here. The combination of pain, lights, visions and voices were becoming unbearable. She didn’t even know how long she had been where ever it was she was held. She was tired and wanted to rest, but something told her that was not going to happen anytime soon. She tried hard to remember how she had come to be in this situation, but all she could see were blurred images of her past which seemed to be constantly changing. She moaned again as a shockwave of pain ran through her before she lost consciousness and her head dropped downwards.

Outside the room and looking in through the two way mirror was Brainiac and Nam-Ek who were watching the progress of the brainwashing and conditioning of Lana Lang while General Zod processed everything he had been told and Aethyr recovered from her injuries she received from Jor-El at the fortress.

“Her mind is easily broken as she has been only under for two hours and yet already her memories are been altered and she is falling under our control,” Nam-Ek spoke up as he looked at the earth female. 

“Yes, clearly she is not as strong mentally as she is in spirit and even that is not much stronger as she is close to giving in,” Brainiac agreed with a smile “She will do for a concubine for our lord Zod until we can capture Raya and Kara and subject them to the same process and break them as we are breaking Lana,” he continued. “It would be best if our lord had a Kryptonian concubine with which he can rebuild the Kryptonian race once we have eliminated the human species,” he added. 

“What about Faora?” Nam-Ek inquired “She is our lord’s wife,” he added while turning to the A.I. 

“Once we have defeated the League and conquered this planet we may release her from the zone to possess one of the humans so she can help rebuild Krypton,” Brainiac answered, knowing Zod would not waste too much energy in freeing his wife until they had destroyed the house of El and conquered Earth. “Keep an eye on her and the process, I’ll be back later,” he ordered before walking away leaving Nam-Ek to his own thoughts.

Back inside the room within Lana’s mind Isobel continued to watch what was happening, still unable to break through the collar that was stopping her from regaining control of Lana’s body so they could escape. She could tell Lana would not be able to take much more of this and soon she would no longer be who she had been and would be nothing more than a puppet for Luthor.

She kept praying that Kal-El would come and rescue them, but she knew in her heart that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon due to how serious things had gotten and the dangers involved plus he did not even know where this base was. She sighed and could only hope that an opportunity would arise where she could take control and escape.  
31\. Chapter 31

AN: One last chapter for 2015 I (Hawklan) wish you all, in Razial’s and my name, a nice move into the New Year.

Chapter 31

(Kent Farm)

Clark was surprised as he landed outside his home beside Raya and he almost quickly took off again as he did not want another confrontation with his mother and Chloe, but from the look on Raya’s face that wasn’t what she brought him here for. He followed her into the house and noted Diana was waiting for them and that was it, no one else was home something he was glad about.

“We are worried about you Kal-El,” Raya spoke up. “Making the choice you made about Lana could not have been easy for you,” she added as they all sat down. 

“You’re right it wasn’t, but it was the right choice Raya,” Clark sighed as he leaned back and closed his eyes. “In the future I made countless choices like this which may be why I became so hard and cold, except when it came to Diana, but those choices kept us alive and in the fight. The choices I made before the war to always rescue Lana instead of doing my duty cost us and the world dearly,” he explained. “I’m no longer blind to what can happen if I make impulsive choices and I refuse to put Earth and the people on it in danger just for my own happiness, no one person is more important than the safety of this world,” he stated.

“You sound like your father Kal-El. He too had to make hard choices in the war for our world,” Raya told him, causing him to open his eyes and look at her. “I believe if it came down to it he would have chosen our world even over Lara although I think in the end that choice would have been the end of him,” she informed him as she thought back on those days. 

“This choice will not end me Raya,” Clark assured her. “I love Lana, but I have to admit since receiving my future memories I have felt a distance begin to grow,” he admitted. “I also know that I would lose Lana in time due to her been human and me Kryptonian. If I can save her I will and if it’s too late I will mourn and avenge her, but she will be remembered for giving her life in defense of this world,” he finished. 

“You have grown much Kal-El and I am proud to see you have come to some important realizations,” Raya said, relieved to know that what had happened to Lana would not destroy her lover and she noted the relief on Diana’s face as well.

“Do you believe this distance you feel to Lana will vanish once you remove the memories if we win this war Kal-El?” Diana asked. 

“It’s possible Diana, but that is some way off and I can’t let myself get distracted by what ifs at the moment,” Clark replied as he leaned forward. 

Diana and Raya both moved to sit on either side of him as he seemed to lose himself in whatever he was thinking and both decided he needed sometime away from the problems and dangers they faced and as they looked at each other they both came to the same conclusion as to how they should do it. They began by massaging his neck making him groan in pleasure before Raya began kissing his neck and Diana pulled him backwards and kissed him as deeply as she could, having wanted to do so for a while, but been unable to because of the war. 

Clark was surprised by this, but he quickly gave into the two women’s passion as he wanted to lose himself for a few hours and not have to think of how to win the war or even think about Lana’s fate. The kiss with Diana continued as before she stopped and she and Raya removed his jacket and t-shirt and led him towards his bedroom with the intent of finally consummating their relationships with each other. 

+TW+

(Fortress of Solitude) 

Bruce returned alongside, Dick and Helena with Selina Kyle also known as Catwoman. They finally had been able to track the elusive thief down and convince her of the seriousness of the events taking place and that they needed her help. Selina looked around in awe at the Fortress. She was truly impressed by what she was seeing. She was surprised to see Talia al Ghul run up to Bruce and hug, but even more so to see him returning it with affection. Truly a lot more was going on than she had been told but before she could ask Dick and Helena led her over to a nearby screen and showed her what was to come. 

Bruce removed his facemask so he could kiss Talia feeling ten times better just been back in her presence. Since things had heated up he had not had much time to spend with Talia, he led her over to some seats and sat down so he could rest while Talia just leaned against him. 

“You are tired detective, you need rest,” the voice of Ra made him look up to find Talia’s father standing off to the side of them, observing them. 

“You’re right Ra. I think we all need some decent rest,” Bruce admitted with a tired sigh. “Jor-El is there any sign of trouble from Zod or his allies?” he asked. 

“None so far,” Jor-El answered. “I am sure he is been updated by Brainiac about what exactly is going on and it will take some time for him to digest it and come up with a plan, so I would suggest you take this time to rest and recover. Once Zod does come up with a plan and begins, we will most likely be constantly active until it’s over,” he explained to them all. 

“You weren’t kidding were you Bruce?” Selina said. “This truly is a war,” she said with a shake of her head. “Considering the stakes I’m in,” she added.

“As am I,” Ray Palmer spoke up, causing everyone to turn to find him standing at the back alongside Oliver and Bart who Chloe quickly ran over very pleased to see the speedster who she had become close too. 

Bruce, Talia and Ra vanished heading home as did some of the others while a few remained to keep an eye on things. Martha and Jonathan headed for town to buy some supplies before heading home and Chloe and Bart went for some dinner so they could get to know one another better. Dax-Ur continued to work on his chip to reprogram Brainiac with Jor-El’s help while Kara and J’onn decided to patrol to try and locate the new base their enemy had set up.

+TW+ 

(Secret Base) 

Zod stood staring out the window at the landscape of Earth, thinking on everything he had been told by his three followers, to think Kal-El was trying to change history to stop him succeeding in conquering this primitive planet made him want to laugh as it showed how much stronger he was to his nemesis’s son. Jor-El still remained a threat although if he killed the avatar of Jor-El then he would be confined to the fortress making less of a threat. He needed to attack and soon to get a feeling on how strong this league of heroes Kal-El had put together was, but he would not rush blindly into this, no he would put something together slowly.

He turned and moved over to the balcony where below Luthor’s men worked on brainwashing more meteor freaks for their army, the villainous allies of Luthor were resting except for Bane who had headed back to Gotham to try and locate friends and allies of Batman to try and draw him out so he could kill him.

“My lord,” he turned as Brainiac returned and stood behind him. “Is there anything you need?” he asked. 

“I want to know if there is anything or anyone who could give us an advantage against Kal-El and his allies,” Zod commanded. 

“There is the blue crystal which contains the replicant of Zor-El who would be most useful in our struggle as he was on Krypton. However we would need to get back into the fortress to use it again and also Kal-El and his allies had hidden it and we do not know where” Brainiac answered. “There is also the chance that if we do get back into the fortress we could release some more of the zoners to aid us, especially the one who became Bizarro and he could once again sample Kal-El’s DNA and become his duplicate which would allow us to maybe infiltrate the League or just cause confusion and distrust with its members,” he continued as he quickly processed ideas. “However I don’t believe the League will leave the fortress defenseless again considering you have already been released and they know what kind of destruction you can bring my lord,” he concluded. 

Zod listened and thought over Brainiac’s responses and came to the conclusion each was a good idea, but at the moment none of them was useable. This annoyed him greatly and he moved back to the window and decided to unleash some chaos on the planet until he could put together a plan that would give them a chance at gaining the upper hand in the war. He quickly turned and headed to the room with the maps of the planet so he could choose the best places to launch quick hit and run attacks to distract and tire the League.

+TW+

(Kent Farm)

Clark relaxed in his bed with Raya and Diana snuggled against his sides, he was still a little surprised by what they had just done, but he did not regret it and he felt a lot more relaxed than he had been and both women seemed happy at moving their relationships with him along to a deeper level. He felt less the loss of Lana at the moment, but he knew he had not given up on getting her back. Just as he was about to get up his hearing picked up his parents getting closer to the farm and he quickly woke Raya and Diana and they quickly used their super speed to have a shower and get dressed so his parents would not catch them and get even more angry before leaving the house and heading to his attic. 

Martha and Jonathan entered the house relieved to be back in a familiar setting for a while. Martha was still angered by her husband’s acceptance of Clark’s choice not to rescue Lana, but she decided to leave it alone for now but she would not forget it. She was deeply disappointed in her son for the first time in her life and it was not a feeling she liked, but she could not dismiss the feelings the choice Clark had made evoked in her. 

Jonathan meanwhile hoped his wife would calm down and see that her son could only make the choice he had made. He shook his head and looked for any signs that his son was home, but could see none. He sighed and shook his head wishing for the things that had happened had not taken place as things were much easier just dealing with Jor-El and the occasional meteor freak and other assorted enemies that turned up, including the Luthor’s. 

In the attic Clark looked out over the farm, remembering how he had been standing here when the time wave that had given him his future self’s memories had hit him with Lana just behind him. So much had happened since then and he knew things would never be the same again, no matter what happened next. 

“Are you okay Kal?” Diana asked deciding to leave out the El for a change. 

“Yeah just remembering things,” Clark answered while turning to the Amazon princess and taking in her beauty which made him want to forget all about the war for a longer time period, but he knew he could not. “Anyway we best start coming up with a plan to stop whatever Zod is going to do,” he said with a sigh. 

“Yes but not just yet Kal-El,” Raya agreed pulling Clark down onto his couch where she and Diana curled up against him and all of them dreamed of a future where Zod and his allies had all been beaten and they could live in a more peaceful world.

+TW+

(Secret Base)

Lana screamed as a pain washed over her that out did anything she had felt before, the suddenly she began to feel different and she saw images which she began to believe were her memories. She saw herself spurn Clark Kent again and again because she hated him while she fell in love with Lex Luthor and then Zod who now possessed the man. She felt an overwhelming desire to serve Zod in whatever manner he commanded of her. She smiled as she felt a new purpose come to her and that was to serve Zod and his allies and help them defeat the Justice League who she now saw as enemies. 

Inside her mind Isobel collapsed, she witnessed Lana finally succumbing to the brainwashing, she knew the Lana she had known before was lost not just to her but to Kal-El as well. She sighed wondering if she was to forever be imprisoned inside this new personality. 

Outside the room Brainiac watched as Lang finally gave in and accepted the new memories and feelings the programming had created within her, that gave him new ideas for how to gain some ground against the League and he laughed as he imagined the pain Kal-El would feel when he realized he had lost Lana Lang for good.

+TW+

(Fortress of Solitude)

Clark arrived in the fortress the next day feeling more refreshed than he had in a while alongside Raya and Diana. They had stayed at the farm all night hidden in the barn so his mother and Chloe would not find them. He had talked with his father who reassured him that his mother and friend would come around eventually and see his choice had been the only one he could have made, but Clark was not too sure about that. 

He looked around and noted everyone seemed more relaxed after a good night’s sleep and he also noted Ray Palmer and Selina Kyle had joined them. Giving them more aid in the fight to come, he moved over to talk to Jor-El while Raya and Diana moved off to talk to Kara. 

“Any signs of where Zod and his allies are hiding, father?” he asked as he stopped in front of the main console.

“Not as yet my son, but I’m confident that when they launch their next attacks we will be able to trace them as Dax-Ur and myself have worked to reconfigure the Fortress’s systems to increase their range,” Jor-El responded. 

“What do you think Zod will do with Lana?” he couldn’t help but ask. 

“I think you already know the answer to that Kal-El as it almost happened in the original time line twice,” Jor-El told him. “She will no longer be your friend and lover but his slave by now. I am sorry Kal-El, but all my memories of the man point me to this conclusion as do my instincts,” he pointed out as gently as he could. 

Clark looked down and nodded knowing his father was right. Zod had twice tried to brainwash Lana after capturing her and making her his concubine, but both times he had rescued her before the process could begin, but this time there was no chance of him doing it. 

His mother and Chloe wouldn’t be pleased by this once if they learned of it. He sighed and told his father to continue to monitor for any signs of Zod and his allies before walking over to join Bruce, Oliver, Bart and Arthur to discuss tactics before pausing and remembering Lana hosted Isobel and it was possible she could still be alive within Lana even if she had been brainwashed. That may give them an advantage in dealing with her if the worst had indeed happened. This caused him to smile before he joined in the conversation.  
32\. Chapter 32

Note: We (Razial and me (Hawklan)) wish you all a Happy 2016 and we hope you will enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 32

(Kent Farm)

Martha, Jonathan, Chloe and Lois all sat around the table eating their breakfast wondering what would happen today. The loss of Lana hurt each of them badly, but only Jonathan was willing to forgive Clark for not going after her straight away even Lois believed he should have done whatever it took to retrieve her from Zod.

Jonathan could tell Clark had been right in his fears that it would take longer for his choice to be understood. He just wished they could see what such a choice would have cost not just Clark but his allies and maybe the world at large and they also could not see the pain the choice had caused him. In time they would see it, but until then he doubted they’d be much help and so he had decided to keep them here. The farm was now secure from attack thanks to some of the Kryptonian tech Raya and Dax-Ur had placed around it to shield it. 

“Do you think we can still win?” Lois inquired after she finished eating. 

“Yes we can Lois. Lana maybe lost and Zod is now on Earth, but Clark and the League will not stop until they have won,” Jonathan quickly interrupted before anyone else could say something. 

“Lana is not lost Jonathan,” Martha quickly argued. “Clark will get her back, he has to,” she added before leaving the kitchen and heading for their room, leaving an uncomfortable silence in her wake. 

Jonathan sighed and rubbed his temple as Chloe gave him a small glare and left as well, followed by Lois who seemed to agree with his wife’s statement. Martha had always been close to Lana and treated her almost like a daughter and the idea of her marrying Clark had appealed to her. Now the loss of her was really getting to her and he was worried how this would affect her relationship with Clark. 

+TW+

(Secret Base)

Zod looked up as Brainiac and Lana walked into his room, she was now dressed in a long black dress and he smiled. He was feeling his hosts attraction to the girl and he had to admit she was a lovely specimen and would do for now. He smiled knowing him taking her as his concubine would infuriate Kal-El to no end and that may give him an edge in their first confrontation in this timeline. 

“She is ready General,” Brainiac said as Lana stopped in front of him with a loving look on her face. 

“You have done well,” Zod said as he stood and walked around the girl looking her over and taking in her features and liked what he saw. “She will do until we can free my wife from the zone or maybe one of the other criminal Kryptonian women in the zone,” he continued. 

“What about Raya and Kara my lord?” Brainiac asked surprised by his lord’s suggestion. 

“No they are not suitable any longer. I will leave no trace of the house of El alive. This time they will all die is that understood?” Zod growled hatred for the El’s pouring out of him. 

“Yes it is understood,” Brainiac nodded as he concluded that learning of his defeats in the last time line had really angered him and that he wanted to take no chances this time. 

“Good, now leave us and begin planning two separate attacks on Metropolis,” Zod ordered before turning his attention back to Lana who remained waiting behind him. 

He ignored Brainiac leaving and walked back over to the girl and smiled, knowing he was going to enjoy this, inside Lana’s mind Isobel screamed in rage wishing she could assume control and attack this savage, but she knew she could not while the power blocker remained around Lana’s neck. One day she vowed she would avenge Lana and have her own revenge at the same time. 

+TW+

(Fortress of Solitude) 

The League sat discussing how they would handle the next set of attacks, they knew they were been tested by Lex, now Zod, and his allies, but they were not willing to leave the people defenseless and so they decided to form two fast response teams to deal with the probing teams while Clark stated he would put himself on standby in case they released Doomsday again to which Kara and Diana immediately protested, reminding him how he had almost died the last time.

A small argument broke out until Jor-El interrupted and settled the matter by saying that he himself and Diana would remain on standby to aid Kal-El should he need it, but until then Doomsday was Kal-El’s to deal with. Clark could tell not a lot of the League were happy with this but none of them argued the point knowing that Jor-El would not bend on this point no matter what. 

“How many of the meteor freaks do you think Lex has brainwashed Clark?” Bart inquired. 

“I would wager a lot by now and with Zod now in control of him the process is most likely been refined somewhat,” Clark answered leaning back in his seat. “Whatever he did to make them stronger is probably down to Brainiac’s skills so we should keep an eye out for surprises when we face them,” he warned the others. 

“Good point,” Arthur spoke up. “I was almost caught by a secondary power one of the freaks suddenly developed in our last fight so it is clear they are modifying them for battle not just adjusting their strength,” he explained. 

“Is there any way we can take them out on mass without fighting them to the death as we did the last lot?” Oliver inquired, not liking the fact they’d had to kill the meteor freaks they had come up against so far because they were no chances of saving them. 

“Or maybe a way to reverse the brainwashing that has been done to them?” Dick added as unlike his mentor and friend Bruce he was averse from killing even their enemies. 

“At the moment none that we are aware off, however Jor-El and myself are running through multiple experiments and ideas with help from Raya and Mr. Palmer,” Dax-Ur answered. “The few that showed positive results left the person in question with multiple problems health wise and are not acceptable,” he point out to them.

“This is a nightmare,” Zatanna stated with a shake of her head. “If we keep killing the meteor freaks the people and especially the government will label us in the same mould as Zod and his allies and we will be hunted and arrested if caught,” she argued. 

“She has a point Clark. We can’t keep killing them if we have any hope of remaining free and able to move without constantly been hounded by the police and other government forces,” Kyle joined in. 

“The only other option we have then is to incapacitate them and send them into the zone,” Todd said with an indecisive look on his face. “I’m not sure they deserve to be sent there as what they are doing is not really their fault and they do not deserve to be left in what is basically hell,” he added. 

“I agree with my brother they don’t deserve to be sent there,” Jennifer cut in. “Killing them may be wrong, but until we have a way to reverse what has been done to them aren’t we saving them and releasing them from whatever torment they feel from the brainwashing process and stopping them from harming anyone else?” she asked.

“Now that is a good point Jen,” Helena stated. “Say we do manage to come up with a way to reverse what has been done to them how do you think they will feel or even handle the knowledge that they have killed people?” she asked, causing a silence to descend on the group as they digested that idea. 

“Couldn’t we maybe I don’t know erase their memories of what’s happened to them?” Bart asked as he thought over the different points of view knowing each had a semblance of truth behind them. 

“No, messing with people’s memories is very difficult and could have adverse effects on people including wiping out their entire history,” Dax-Ur countered. 

“There was a meteor infected person I remember from the future time line and he could wipe out memories including specific ones,” Clark finally re-joined the conversation. “I meet him in two months or at least I did last time,” he added.

“He might have already been captured and brainwashed,” Bruce interrupted. “We can’t depend on a maybe,” he added.

Another silence came across the group as they all tried to come up with ways to help the meteor freaks who had already been brainwashed without killing them.

+TW+

(Secret Base)

Zod stepped out of his room wearing a grin having enjoyed himself with the now brainwashed Lana Lang who believed she loved him. He enjoyed taking her but considered her not worthy of truly been his concubine as she was weak willed, having not been able to resist what had been done to her and second she was a normal human and he needed a fellow Kryptonian to help repopulate his race. 

But for the here and now she would do as a plaything until they could capture the fortress and release those Kryptonian’s who resided in the zone, banished by the council for either supporting him in his bid to gain power or for other crimes deemed to terrible for normal sentencing. He supposed he should be thankful the council was so strict in how they viewed crime as he would have plenty of choice to choose from when they did open the zone. He paused for a minute before entering the base command to find Brainiac in talks with Aethyr and Nam-Ek as well as Lex’s human allies Joker, Bane and Toyman and the former Green Lantern Sinestro while Doomsday stood silent in the shadows. 

He observed the dangerous alien for a minute knowing that without the control chip imbedded in its brain Doomsday would be ransacking this base and everyone inside it. Doomsday was the ultimate weapon of a long dead world and it was a match even for him. Suddenly he came up with a good plan to draw Kal-El into the open where he could be observed by himself during the next set of attacks and he smiled as he quickly set to work putting his plans into action.

+TW+

(Fortress of Solitude)

The discussion continued but so far no one could agree on a solution to the meteor freak problem or how to reverse what had been done to them. A few were very angry about having to continue to kill them if left no other choice, but even they had to see that if they did not they would wake and then just continue to attack and kill helpless people. 

They were stopped when Jor-El reported two attacks in the Metropolis area while Doomsday had been sighted attacking Smallville itself, causing huge amounts of damage. 

“It’s started,” Clark said as he and the others stood up and changed into their costumes. “I’ll try and stop Doomsday, but something is off here,” he added.

“What do you mean Kal?” Diana asked as she prepared for battle. 

“Sending Doomsday to Smallville doesn’t make sense unless it’s a trap for me,” Clark responded. “Zod is up to something, father I want you, Kara and Diana to stay and be on standby I may need your help by the end of this,” he said turning to Jor-El in Lionel’s body. 

“I agree Kal-El this reeks of Zod,” Jor-El stated. “He either wants to observe you or simple kill you outright,” he added as Bruce and Oliver vanished from the fortress with their teams. 

“Good luck Kal,” Kara said to her cousin as she watched him kiss Diana before vanishing before turning to her uncle. “I don’t like this we should have gone with him,” she stated. 

“Calm down Kara I have no intention of allowing Kal-El to face off against Doomsday and Zod” Jor-El tried to calm down his niece. “Prepare to leave in five minutes,” he added as he headed to retrieve a weapon he had built and he hoped it would disable Doomsday. 

+TW+

(Metropolis)

Bruce, Oliver and their teams both touched down into war zones as at least thirty meteor freaks ravaged the city each led by two of Zod’s allies. Bruce quickly spotted Bane and Joker, but ignored them for now and led his allies against the meteor freaks while across the other side of the city Oliver engaged the meteor freaks as well as Toyman and Sinestro.

+TW+

(Smallville) 

Clark growled as he put everything into his punch, but it barely fazed Doomsday who just came right back at him nailing him with a hard right hand sending him flying into a nearby shop. He groaned but quickly regained his feet and stepped outside and was unsurprised to see Zod standing beside Doomsday. 

“Hello Kal-El we meet at last or should that be we meet again,” Zod said with a smirk he was familiar with seeing on Lex’s face all too often. “I know what you’ve done and while I applaud your strength you know in your heart you will fail,” he taunted. 

“Not unless I die Zod,” Kal-El spat taking over from Clark. “Where is Lana?” he demanded to know. 

“Oh we broke her I’m afraid she is nothing now but my pet and I have already helped myself to her and I have to admit for a human she entertained me well,” Zod answered. 

Zod said this with a smile which quickly turned into a leer which made Clark’s blood boil and he lashed out at Zod only to be sent back into the wall by Doomsday’s massive fist.

“Calm yourself Kal-El I do not intend to fight you just yet, I just wanted to meet you,” Zod said with ease as Kal-El got back to his feet. “But if you wish to die now I am willing to oblige you,” he added in a deadly tone but was quickly stopped as someone stood in his way. 

“This fight is not my sons but mine Zod,” Jor-El growled out. “As it was on Krypton as it is now,” he added challenging his long-time foe. 

Zod noted Kara and another female off to the side of Kal-El and he quickly ordered Doomsday after them while he advanced on the avatar of the man who had stopped him ruling Krypton and now dared to stand against him once more even ignoring death to ruin his plans.


	3. Chapter 3

*Chapter 23*: Chapter 23

 

(Metropolis)

Bruce growled as Joker charged him but he quickly dropped to the ground and swept his legs out catching the deranged clown in the knees bringing him down to the ground and tried to follow up with an elbow to his back but Bane quickly regained his feet and they clashed fists flying as Helena, Dick, Selina, Donna, Atom and Arthur faced off against the meteor freaks they had with them. He noted the Bane was just watching events as the fight started and he felt whatever the evil clown planned was bad news for them.

Across town Oliver was currently fighting Toyman whilst Kyle faced off against Sinestro in a impressive flying display their power rings creating many weapons to take down the other but whilst Kyle was trying to make sure nothing happens to any civilians in the area as well Sinestro had no such morals and was creating weapons that caused excess damage to the surrounding area. Around them Raya, Jade, J'onn, Todd, Bart and Zatanna battled the meteor freaks they had brought with them, cops were arriving as the fight waged on but were no match for what was going on.

Kelly Benson stood on a small walkway watching the battle unfold with her cameraman unable to believe what she was seeing once again, the damage been done was far more than before and the fighting between the League as Batman had called them and the villains was far more vicious she noted before beginning her report

"This is Kelly Benson and once more Metropolis is at the mercy of a war been rage between a large group of villains and the League of Hero's who combined to stop them, I am told there is two fights taking place right now the one I am watching the Green Arrow lead and across town Batman leads the second whilst in Smallville it has been reported the beast has returned and is once again apposed by the same hero who fought it before this time with help from his allies" Kelly began taking a deep breath as Green Arrow was sent flying into a wall "All three fights are completely out of control from what I have heard and seen here but local law enforcement are trying to limit the damage and casualties but it is not an easy thing as there is falling debris everywhere and they are targets for the insane followers of the villains" she finished as the and Cameraman decided to get out of the way before they ended up caught in the crossfire

Bruce exchanged blows with Joker making them as hard as he could trying to end the man who could one day be Talia's killer as he had in the future time line, just the memory of what he had learnt of what Joker would one day take from him was enough to drive him into a fury. Bane had finally attacked heading straight for Arthur who met the charge head on just after he took down the meteor freak he had been fighting, he was thrown backwards but quickly regained his balance and struck back knocking the deranged assassin off his feet where he pretended to be out cold only to quickly strike out with his feet when Aquaman turned to help one his allies.

Dick growled as he fought as hard as he could against the meteor freak that could blow things up just by touching them meaning he had to stay out of its reach whilst figuring a way of bringing it down, the insane look on its face sent a chill down his spine. Off to the side he could see Selina was easily using her agility to stay a step ahead of the freak she was fighting and he could see why Bruce had sought her out, Helena was to his other side but was having a bit more trouble with the meteor freak she was fighting. He was suddenly sent flying as the car in front of him exploded and he coughed as he got back to his feet cursing himself for letting his attention wonder.

(Smallville)

Zod stared at the Avatar of the man who had stopped him ruling Krypton and imprisoned him in the zone along with his wife and he felt all the old hatred and anger return, a small part of him was amused at the irony of the fact the he had taken the son of the man who was Jor-El's Avatar as his host but he quickly pushed that aside

"You want to die again Jor-El I will be happy to oblige your wishes" he hissed

"Dying for your loved ones and ones home is never futile Zod something you forgot a long time ago when you became the ultimate enemy of Krypton instead of its greatest defender" Jor-El shot back "You had everything but it was not enough and so you tried to get more and it only ended in destruction not just for you but our people and you still have not learned anything from it because here you are trying to do the same thing again" he continued

"Do not lecture me Jor-El" Zod growled he had always hated listening to the mans views "I am the greatest general in our planets history I deserved to be our peoples leader after all the battles I fought for them but they were two afraid to give me my due so I took it" he pressed

"And all it got you was exile to the phantom zone along with your followers and your own wife Zod; it also sent our race into extinction with very few survivors" Jor-El lied at the end as he did not want Zod to know a small part of their race had survived

"They were weak as are you and your whole family but not for long I will kill each and every one of you" Zod said with a wide smirk "I will then recreate our race in my image and under my rule" he shouted an insane look in his eyes which chilled Jor-El to the bone as he had seen it many times back during the war "Now die Jor-El" Zod commanded as his heat vision activated

Jor-El was ready for the attack and quickly side stepped it before using his super speed to smash into Zod and force him backwards, behind them Doomsday clubbed Clark into the sports shop as Kara hit it from behind with her heat visions whilst Diana picked up a car and tossed it into the side of the monster only causing the car to explode harmlessly off the creature's thick skin.

Clark groaned as he pushed himself back to his feet and shook his head before moving forward as Kara was almost grabbed by Doomsday and Diana was sent flying into a truck, he flew at full speed catching Doomsday as he turned back to him and flung him into the building behind him. He shook his head knowing they had to get Doomsday away from the town before he did anymore damage

"Kara, Diana help me get him outside Smallville" he shouted as he again flew at Doomsday as he got back up and grabbed him around the waist whilst Kara and Diana grabbed his arms and together they flew upwards away from the town

Jor-El wished he still had his living body as Lionel's could only take so much stress even with the necessary upgrades he'd given it, he would not be able to fight Zod for long but he did not need to just keep him away from Kal-El, Kara and Diana whilst they fought Doomsday. He had to keep that in mind because if he allowed his personal feelings towards Zod get in the way he may doom Lionel and this planet to death and he would not allow a second world to fall because of Zod's ambitions.

(Fortress of Solitude)

Talia and her father arrived to find the fortress deserted bar Dax-Ur who was working at his work station on his chip to reprogram Brainiac, Talia frowned

"Where is everyone Dax-Ur?" she inquired

"I'm afraid there was another attack by Zod and his allies two in Metropolis and one is smallville" Dax-Ur answered looking up "However Jor-El and Kal-El both believed this is a test for us but even if it is it may allow us to track them back to their base so we can finally take the fight to them" he explained "My chip to reprogram Brainiac is almost complete so if we can get it into his data port we will have a very powerful new ally and maybe then he can fulfil the reason he was created in the first place" he continued

"I see" Talia said with a shake of her head before cursing

"Is there a problem Talia?" Dax-Ur asked as he took a greater look at the two

"Nyssa has revealed herself along side Deathstroke and Riddler who escaped the last fight" Ra was the one who answered "We hoped for the detectives help in capturing them all whilst we had the chance" he added as he sat down whilst Talia began to pace

"I understand your desire to bring your wayward daughter in Ra but do you believe you can reason with her?" Dax-Ur inquired "And Batman's reaction to her may not be what you wish, I believe he is as compromised by what the future could bring as Kal-El has been" he informed them

"You make a very valid point Dax-Ur, since learning what accrued in the future from Kal-El he has become driven to remove both Joker and Nyssa anyway possible however I had hoped he may have calmed down since then" Ra responded

"We can try and capture her on our own father" Talia suggested turning to face her father

"I do not believe that would be wise Talia, you forget been lured away from Batman was what caused your death in the future Kal-El has foreseen" Dax-Ur pointed out making sure he got his point across to them both as he did not want to be the one to inform Batman he had allowed the woman he loved to walk into what was quite clearly trap "This is a trap for you I believe, Nyssa is hoping you will go after her without back up I believe it would be foolish to give her what she wants especially if it leaves you in the same brainwashed state we can expect Lana Lang to be in" he informed them

Both Ra and Talia looked at each other before conceding the points he had made they could not rush into this and would have to wait until Batman and the others returned, Ra remained where he was deep in thought on how to break through to his daughter Nyssa without causing him too much harm whilst Talia went and lay down.

Dax-Ur watched them for a few seconds before turning and going back to work on his chip for Brainiac, he was so close now to finishing it and maybe putting Brainiac back to his true purpose and undo the damage he had done when Zod had taken control of the A.I.

(Outside Smallville)

Kara lay on the ground groaning as she tried to shake the dizziness she was feeling from been hit so hard by Doomsday, Kal-El had warned her just how dangerous the monster was but she had not truly believed it but now she knew she would have to be much more careful in her attacks otherwise she may just end up dead. She pushed herself to her feet and noted Diana and Kal-El were each attacking Doomsday from the sides as Zod and Jor-El fought behind them, Jor-El had followed them outside the town and Zod had followed intending on destroying him.

She concentrated as she readied herself for the fight before flying at Doomsday who was still distracted fighting Kal-El and Diana and caught it in the face with a roundhouse sending it backwards allowing all three of them to charge it to the ground and begin pounding it with everything they had only to be flung off it a few minutes later however they noted they had managed to make Doomsday bleed.

Clark knew they could not beat Doomsday so they would have to put him back on ice or get him off the planet, like a bolt of lightening he had an idea and whilst it was not full proof it was all he had at the moment to get rid of Doomsday as fast as possible thus eliminating the most dangerous of Zod's allies.

"Kara, Diana we have to take Doomsday into space and launch him into the sun" he whispered so only they could hear him "We have to get him off planet and once in the sun he will be no danger for a long while" he added

"Will the sun be able to trap him though Kal?" Diana asked

"Yes it will the gravity of the Sun will hold even him maybe not forever but long enough to give us time to deal with Zod and the others and be more prepared for his return" Clark answered

"Then we charge him together and lift off as hard as we can, Diana will have to let go once we reach the upper atmosphere as she can't survive in space" Kara agreed as she noted Doomsday preparing to charge them again

"We go now" Clark ordered

All three of them shot off and collided with Doomsday just as he began to charge them, they struggled with the monster as he tried to fight them off but they held on and then pushed off from the ground with all the force they could muster and headed into the sky.

Jor-El sent Zod to the ground with a wicked round house then noted what his son, niece and ally were doing, he wondered why they were going into space before it quickly came to him and he smiled before been caught n the chest by Zod's foot and he quickly turned back to the fight at hand and lashed out at his enemy sending Zod back

"Not bad Jor-El" Zod said with a smirk as he rubbed his jaw "For a weak scientist you always did know how to fight to the last, you led the war against me no matter what the council tried to make people believe and it was you who brought me down just imagine what we could have accomplished together had you not apposed me" he stated

"Nothing but bloodshed Zod, I will never be like me and no matter what it takes I will send you back to the zone" Jor-El growled out feeling ill at the idea of him ever teaming with Zod "And even if you escape there will be a member of my house ready to appose you, this I vow" he added as he took the air joined a second later by Zod

"Then my destruction of the house of El is all the more important isn't it" Zod said smiling as he had known there was no way Jor-El would ever join him but wanted to annoy just by suggesting it "Now Jor-El prepare to die" he suddenly shouted his voice devoid of humour as he flew right at his mortal enemy

(Metropolis)

Bruce struggled against the meteor freak who had suddenly attacked him whilst the Joker watched from a near by building laughing his head off, he reached into his belt and pulled one of his gas pellets out and forced it into the man's mouth and set it off and watched as the freak began coughing violently before collapsing to the ground out cold

"You are no fun bats" Joker said as he walked closer "Where is your sense of fair play?" he inquired

"I don't have one because most of the scum I fight don't have one either and that especially includes you Joker" Bruce growled out as he prepared to continue their fight

Joker laughed wishing he had more time to taunt Batman but he did not, this fight was only a test and nearly all the meteor freaks had been taken down already by the other hero's so he grabbed his the bomb from his belt and chucked it not at Batman but at where his closest allies Nightwing, Huntress and Catwoman were fighting before running away.

Bruce was torn for a few seconds as he watched the man who could still become the murderer of Talia before shaking his head and heading for the bomb, his friends were distracted by their fight with two very strong meteor freaks and would never see the bomb in time. He readied one of batcables and hooked the bomb up with it and sent it flying high into the sky where it exploded. He breathed a sigh of relief before charging into the fight.

Bane and Arthur continued to exchange fists but were equally matched in terms of strength and skill, Bane grew tired of the fight wishing instead he had been allowed to fight Batman but Joker had attacked first and gained that right. He lashed out with a side kick and followed up with a palm strike which sent Aquaman to his knees before turning and leaving knowing the next time they fought it would be to the death and that was something he was looking forward to especially against Batman, Arthur spat out blood from the blow and shook his head before getting back to his feet and going to help Atom and Donna.

Across the city Oliver and his team were round up the last of the meteor freaks as Sinestro was now a captive having been taken down by the combined powers of Kyle and Jade whilst Toyman had managed to escape, it was a small victory but a victory all the same and for Kyle and Jade a personal one as Sinestro had once been a Green Lantern and an ally who had turned on them and the rest of the corps.

They pushed the final three meteor freaks back against a rather large building and then they concentrated their power against them bringing them down one at a time, they were all feeling drained but they decided to head to the second battle to help Batman and his team whilst Kyle and Jade took Sinestro back to the fortress so they could begin their plan of sending the worst villains into the phantom zone.

Oliver looked around and noted the destruction that had been caused to the city and sighed knowing the people and the government were not going to be happy about this but they would have done no better against the villains and more violence and destruction would have been the result if they tried to fight without them. They watched as the last of the meteor freaks was destroyed by Donna and Raya

"Is this the last of them?" Bart asked

"Yeah, we better go and help Kal-El and the others" Bruce answered ignoring his strained muscles

(Space)

Kal-El and Kara held onto Doomsday as hard as they could as he continued to struggle against them in their flight to the sun, they were close to the sun now and were feeling stronger and stronger as they did until finally they reached a good point and launched the monster as hard as they could and watched in satisfaction as Doomsday hurtled into the sun before turning and heading back to earth

(Outside Smallville)

Jor-El was beginning to feel tired and he knew his avatar could not handle much more damage and so prepared to leave; Zod was just preparing to attack again when the rest of the league minus Kyle and jade arrived along with Diana and finally Kal-El and Kara

"Interesting this group of hero's who have collected Kal-El but it will do you no good in the end" Zod said after a few seconds pause "You may have beaten back my troops but in the end you and every who follows you will fall at my feet and this planet will become the new Krypton" he stated with a wide smile before leaving

"How did we do?" Clark inquired as he looked around noting the missing members of there team "Are Kyle and Jade alright?" he asked

"They are okay they took Sinestro prisoner and returned to the fortress ready for him to be banished to the zone" Donna replied with a small smile

"Then lets get to it" Oliver said "Plus we all need some rest before we hopefully attack their main base" he added

The group looked around before activating their beacons and vanished from the area hoping that they would soon end this war and ensure the future Kal-El had seen in his future memories would never come to pass

 

*Chapter 24*: Chapter 24

 

(Fortress of Solitude)

Talia, Ra. Dax-Ur, Kyle and Jade looked up as the rest of the league returned looking a bit tired but more positive than they had for a while especially Clark and Bruce

"How did things go?" Dax-Ur inquired as Talia greeted Bruce with a deep loving kiss

"We managed to imprison Doomsday in the sun which should at least hold him for a while" Clark responded as everyone sat down "It was an idea that just accrued to me during the fight but it should contain him until we have dealt with Zod and the majority of his allies" he added

"Speaking of which Clark we should send Sinestro into the zone like we agreed to" Kyle spoke up indicting the man held between himself and Jade

"You are fools to think you can beat all of us" Sinestro sneered at them "I will be free soon enough and I hope in time to see your deaths as I witnessed the death of the corpse" he added hoping to anger the two green lanterns

"Nice try Sinestro but where you are going will more than make up for your betrayal of the corpse and the lanterns you killed" Jade hissed glaring at the man "You won't have the power of your ring as we have already taken it from you and we have searched you for any spares so you will be at the mercy of the zoners you meet" she continued "That is Justice enough for us" she finished

"I agree" Kyle said with a nod "And the Corpse is rebuilding itself as it always does so in the end either way you loose" he stated as Jor-El began the process of opening the portal

"You are still fools to believe you can defeat Brainiac and his lord Zod" Sinestro boasted as he was pulled to the now swirling portal "I will have my revenge" he shouted one last time before he was pushed into the portal and vanished

Everyone watched as the portal was closed and they all realised they were now committed to their of sending their enemies to the zone, they would have to face the governments of the world soon and explain their reasoning for this but for now they had other problems to deal with so they turned and sat at the main table to discuss their next move.

"I am pleased to say my chip to reprogram Brainiac is now complete and will completely erase whatever it was that Zod did to him in the first place" Dax-Ur began "This means when we attack their base we must capture Brainiac as quickly as we can" he added

"Did we manage to track them back to their base Jor-El?" Kara asked

"We did, our improvements to the sensors worked and we now have the location of their new base" Jor-El replied "I am already gathering intel and floor plans for their chosen location and we should be ready to go in two hours" he explained

"Before that I think we should discuss something else that has come up" Ra interrupted before anyone else could say anything "It may give us a chance to remove three more of Zod's allies" he added

"What has accrued Ra?" Lionel asked trying to ignore the strain his body was currently feeling from the battle between Jor-El and Zod

"Nyssa has come out of hiding and has taken up residence in a factory on the outskirts of Metropolis along with Deathstroke and Riddler in what is clearly a trap for me and Talia" Ra informed them noticing the dark frown that came to Bruce's face at the mention of the woman who lured Talia to her death in the future Kal-El was trying to stop happening "We need help to subdue them and bring Nyssa in" he continued

"You believe you maybe able to change Nyssa's chosen path?" Clark asked unsure how to feel about this "She is committed to killing both you and Talia Ra she holds nothing but hatred for you both" he added

"We understand this Kal-El truly we do" Ra responded "But understand She is my daughter and Talia's sister" he added

"But what hope can you have of changing that which is ingrained in her heart and mind?" Bruce finally spoke up having bottled the anger and fear he felt of Talia's fate coming true

"We were hoping maybe Jor-El and Dax-Ur could come up with someway to remove the hatred and lust for our deaths from her" Ra answered "If you can brainwash people into becoming someone completely different then surely you must be able to just alter someone" he questioned

"It is possible we maybe able to come up with some way of doing as you ask but it will not be an easy task and will have to be taken care of after we have dealt with Zod and his allies I'm afraid Ra" Dax-Ur answered after thinking it over for a few minutes

"All we ask is that we try if it fails then I will agree to send her to the zone along with the others to remove the danger she represents to Talia and any children she may one day have" Ra stated and everyone could see the turmoil he felt at saying this even Bruce

"Then our next move is to capture Nyssa and her friends and we can expect more meteor freaks" Oliver said "Maybe also more of their normal allies" he added a second later

"I agree" Clark put in " J'onn your shape shifting abilities will come in handy here" he added

"How so Kal-El?" J'onn inquired wondering what plans he had up his sleeve

"You will take on the appearance of Talia and accompany Ra to the factory making sure they spring their trap, we'll follow close behind so we can spring our own ambush on them catching them by surprise" he explained

"I will have to bring some of my own security forces to make it look real, Nyssa knows I would not blindly walk into a place I do not know alone" Ra put in as he through the plan over

"Understood, Oliver, Bruce, Bart, Kara, Diana, Raya, Selina and Todd will form the ambush force the rest of you should rest especially you Lionel your body has been through a lot during the fight with Zod it needs to recharge" Clark responded

"I can't argue with that Clark" Lionel said with a warn smile "I think I will turn in now" he added before getting up and heading for one of the beds they had moved to the fortress

"Are you sure you have taken enough people for this Clark?" Bart inquired

"Yeah I think so, if not we can always call in backup Bart" Clark reminded his friend "Before we hit Zod's main base we're going to need all the rest we can get because once we get in there is only two ways it ends either we win or we all die and the world falls to Zod and I have no intention to letting that happen as long as I have strength in my body and the best way to ensure that is to not rush into things" he added with a small smirk

"Point taken man" Bart responded with a chuckle knowing he had a tendency to rush into things which got him into more trouble that he knew how to deal with most times

They watched as J'onn took a good look at Talia before he morphed his form to match hers including his own clothes to match her blouse and jeans, Bruce and most of the others looked stunned to suddenly find themselves with two Talia's and even Ra looked somewhat surprised at this

"Wow now that is cool" Talia said with a smile which J'onn then mirrowed "How are you able to do that?" she asked the Martian

"The ability is native to my species but it takes time to master so that you can change not just your form but your clothes and mirror a person down to their voice and actions such as facial expressions and the like" J'onn explained in Talia's voice "I have lived long enough to master all aspects of it so any transformations is releatively easy" he added

"This tracker will ensure we keep track of you and be careful just in case their true plan to grab you and take you back to be brainwashed like Lana was" Clark told him as he handed over a small beacon

"We will as I have no intention of having my mind messed with detective" Ra said seriously

"Then I believe it is time to get this show on the road" Oliver said as he and the rest of team prepared themselves to move out

"We shall first head to my mansion to recruit some of my security forces and then head to the factory" Ra explained "I suggest you follow after five minutes" he added before he and J'onn vanished

Bruce closed his eyes and took a deep breathe knowing he would need all of his control for this, he had promised to at least give Ra a chance to recover his first born daughter and he did not want to cause any problems now that he and Talia were getting so close, he paused as he considered what his future may be like if he succeeded in defeating Zod and the rest of his allies and went on to marry Talia.

It was a nice vision but he wondered if he could truly give up his role as Batman, he was as much the dark knight as he was Bruce Wayne and sometimes he did know if there was any real difference but he guessed he would find out as time passed and they continued to bond. He truly hoped he had it in him to live a normal happy life like he once had before his parents were murdered and that their deaths had not robbed him of that ability.

(Abadoned Factory)

J'onn, Ra and an eight man security team appeared in the factory a few minutes later, Ra looked around wondering where his daughter would appear from whilst J'onn was instantly on alert knowing an attack could come at any minute.

They suddenly heard movement from above and looked up as Nyssa, Deathstroke and Riddler appeared on platform just in front of them and whilst the two villians looked somewhat bored Nyssa had a rather cocky grin on her face as she looked down at them.

"History repeats itself" Nyssa said "Brainiac told me how I helped lead you to you death in the future almost destroying Batman's desire to live and I fully intend to ensure that happens once more infact I will take great pleasure in killing you sister and then you father" she added

"You have become even more corrupt and deranged since last we met child" Ra said with a shake of his head even as he tried to igore the fact a part of this was his fault he should have been a better father "Do you believe we will just stand here whilst you kill us?" he inquired as the security team prepared for a fight and took positions around them

"No but it will make no difference as none of your team is capable of defeating my allies and their friends" Nyssa replied as seven meteor freaks appeared

"Then you are even more deluded to think they would come here alone without backup witch" Batman said as he appeared from above them from another platform as the rest of the team appeared amoung the Ra and J'onn "You truly must have flipped to think we would not learn from what we know would happen in the future" he added

He then quickly activated his batarang and flew across the factory and straight into Deathstroke as the others engaged the meteor freaks, Riddler jumped down to join the fray and was confronted by Green Arrow. J'onn quickly jumped up onto the platform to face Nyssa who pulled a knife and tried to stab him but he quickly caught her wrist whilst he transformed back to his normal look enraging Nyssa as she realised she had indeed been tricked.

Ra soon made it to the top of the platform and came up behind his daughter as she struggled to get free from J'onn, he reached into his pocket and pulled the device Dax-Ur had given him and placed it on his daughters temple before she noticed his presence and it quickly activated and put her into a deep sleep

"Thank you I will take her back as we planned" Ra said as he gathered Nyssa up and then activated his beacon and vansihed along with Nyssa

Once Ra and Nyssa were away J'onn quickly turned to help Batman who was struggling with Deathstroke who also seemed to have undergone the process to make himself stronger.

Below Raya and Kara teamed up and used their heat vision to burn right through a meteor freak who seemed immune to brute strengh, the man screamed before collasping with a bloody hole in his stomach, just behind them Diana used her speed and strengh to subdue her own enemy but as she turned to leave the thing grabbed her by the foot and threw her into the wall stunned she quickly jumped back to her feet to find the thing advancing once more so she quickly engaged it again and began hitting it again and again before it suddenly howled in agorny then fell dead allowing her to notice Raya standing behind where it had stood and her heat vision just fading

"Thanks" Diana said before going to help Bart who was trying to make the meteor freak he was fight dizzy

Raya turned to see Kal-El pick up the meteor freak he was righting and fly into upwards before then changing direction and plowing the freak into the floor causing a shockwave to pass right through the entire floor and a creator to appear, everyone was knocked off their feet especially the left over security guards who only numbered five now but a few seconds later everyone gained their feet and the fight continued.

Oliver growled as Riddler managed to hit him in the side with a pipe he had picked up but he quickly came back with a right hook followed by a knee to his gut forcing Riddler to double over in pain allowing him to drive his elbow into the back on the mans head sending him to the floor with a thud, he bent down to check the mans pulse noting it was still strong but Riddler was outcold so he grabbed him and prepared to transport him to the fortress when a shadow appeared above and he quickly turned to find a rather large meteor freak's fists about to come down on him only for Raya and Diana to catch them

"Go, we've got this" Raya said as she and Diana pushed the freak back

"Thanks for the save" Oliver said before grabbing Riddler and then activating is beacon and transporting back to the fortress

Raya was straining to keep the freak in place as was Diana as it was clear this one had not only increased strengh but also the added power from what ever process Luthor had used to strenghen them, Just as they felt themselves about to give way Kal-El appeared between them and launched a huge upper cut which sent the freak flying into and then through the wall of the factory and it did not get back up.

They looked around and noted Selina, Todd and Bart had managed to finally beat the last meteor freak in the factory and the security team had finally pulled out after loosing another two of their people.

Above them Bruce and J'onn continued to fight Deathstroke who was using his swords to try and kill them, the thing about Deathstroke was he had a regenerative healing factor that allowed him to fight longer and harder than most villians they faced, Bruce finally decided to take a chance and charged him knocking them both to the floor below whilst J'onn quickly followed. Deathstroke quickly jumped back to his feet and noted he was not surrounded but instead of running he attacked Bruce again who had just regained his feet this time with his fists, they began to exchange blows as well as martial art kicks whilst the rest of the league formed a circle around them knowing this was Bruce's fight.

Bruce ducked the swing from Deathstoke and tried to land a sweep kick but that was dodged and he was caught in the chest by a back kick but he quickly recovered and nailed him with a palm strike which stunned Deathstroke allowing him to kick him in the gut knocking him down and then kicked him in the head as he went to get back up with enough force to drive his head right into the concreate and knocking him cold.

"You ok Bruce?" Bart asked as he and Todd picked up the uncouncious Deathstroke ready to take him back to the fortress

"Yeah, he managed to land some good blows but I'm okay" Bruce responded knowing he would end up with more scars and bruises to add to his collection

"Lets get back" Clark spoke up

(Secret Base)

Zod looked up from where he was currently busy with planning his next move with Brainiac to see Nam-El and Aethyr enter with frowns on their faces and he knew they brought bad news

"What is it?" he commanded

"Nyssa, Deathstroke and Riddler failed to return from their ambush so we sent Toyman to check out the factory" Nam-Ek began

"And?" Zod asked already suspecting the answer

"They failed my lord all he found was the dead bodies of the meteor freaks they took with them" Aethyr was the one who answered

"So they got themselves captured" Zod growled "Truly these humans are weak and stupid I do not understand how they have survived for so long as a species" he continued with a shake of his head "Prepare for an attack on this base, they'll be coming soon" he commanded and watched as the two left before turning to Brainiac "Once we repel this attack I want you to plan an attack on the white house" he ordered before heading for the door

"Or course General" Brainiac replied "Where will you be?" he inquired

"I need to relieve some stress so I think I will visit my slave" Zod responded with a smirk as he headed for his room where Lana was waiting for him

(Fortress of Solitude)

Everyone was as Deathstroke and Ridder were sent into phantom zone without any waiting, they each knew this was only the start of deal with the rest of Zod's human allies but it was at least a good start.

"So what do we do now Kal?" Kara asked

"We're going to rest and then we will plan our attack on Zod's base Kara because we are going to need it" Clark answered

"What have you done with Nyssa?" Bruce asked from beside Talia

"We have put her into statis for now until this is all over and we can attampt to do as Ra as asked" Dax-Ur answered "We have no time to deal with her at the moment as we need all our focus on what we are about to do" he added

"I agree" Clark said "We'll recoveen in a few hours to plan our attack" he added

The rest of the league nodded and began to head out knowing they were close to ending this war if they could beat Zod and his allies when they attacked his base, they all felt the pressure now but they hoepd to be able to ignore it for a small while.

 

*Chapter 25*: Chapter 25

 

(Kent Farm)

Clark woke feeling more refreshed than he had for a day or two, he had returned to the farm to rest before they planned and assaulted Zod's main base as the fortress was somewhat crowded. Raya and Kara had chosen to stay with Diana and Donna on the Island Themyscira and he could understand they wanted to be focused for the attack.

He had managed to avoid seeing his parents, Chloe and Lois who were all in the house but he knew he would not be able to avoid them before he left. He would have to face his mother and try and assure her he would try and bring Lana back but a part of him wondered if it was possible after he had heard what Dax-Ur had said about messing with people's memories and he shivered at how his mother would respond to been told that Lana was lost forever.

He sighed before going for a shower and then finally making his way down stairs to find his parents waiting for him alongside Chloe and Lois who looked nervous

"I think we need to talk Clark" Martha said as soon as she saw her son come down the stairs

"I know what you're going to say mom but no matter how much you wish I would just go and rescue Lana like I have before I can't do that now and I have explained the reasons why" Clark shot back eager to stop this argument before it started "I have not given up on her mom I will do everything I can to save her and bring her back except throw my life away or the lives of my friends and allies" he continued "As I said before there is so much more going on here with the results been more important than one persons life no matter who that is" he stated feeling a pain in his heart at saying that as a part of him fought against that

"How can you stand there and say that to me?" Martha shouted upset "How can you talk like that after everything you have done for her and what you told us happens between you in the future?" she demanded to know

"Because I know the truth now a truth I tried so hard to refuse to except before that in the end there are things bigger than me bigger than Lana or even our love" Clark answered "I told you before how long it took me before I was ready to face what I was what I could be and what I could do for the world and because I held on so much to Lana, to my past life I watched the world burn" he pressed wanting all of them to understand this "The world burned and millions of lives came to an end and maybe just maybe if I had woken up sooner I may have been able to stop it before it started, maybe if I had not made so many mistakes in my desire to be normal and have a life with Lana those lives could have been spared their pain" he told them the anger in his voice clear to them all

"Clark that maybe true but that does not give you the right to condem Lana to this fate" Martha argued ignoring the warning look Jonathan tried to send her to back off

"I am not condemming her mother but I will not put her before the world not anymore I can't I was sent here to save this world, you brought me up with all the things needed for me to do the right thing and whilst it seems the wrong choice it is for the right reasons" Clark shouted back "Sacrafices have to be made and Lana would agree with me if she was here I know it in my heart" he added

Martha just stared at him in horror before she stormed up the stairs and into her room the door slamming behind her and Clark sighed knowing if he did not save Lana or her orginal personaility could not be brought back he may never be able to reconcile with his mother.

"Clark are you sure this is the right choice?" Chloe asked split between two warring sides on what needed to be done as a part of her agreed with Martha and the other agreed with Clark

"I am sure Chloe and it kills me to admit it but I have to face it and accept it because if I don't I may make another mistake and that could cost more people their lives" Clark answered as he sat down and rubbed the bridge of his nose

"I understand where you are coming from Smallville" Lois spoke up "Remember I was brought up by a general who has war in his blood I know what you are saying is most likley spot on and you have to look at the bigger picture but you have to see Mrs Kent's point as well before all this happened you would have gone no matter what it cost you right?" she added

"That is just the point Lois I would have gone and maybe died thus leaveing the world to Zod and his allies, how can mom ignore this very important fact?" Clark responded

"Because Lana has always been important to her son" Jonathan finally entered the conversation "I can't fault either of you and I also understand what you've been saying but Martha will never see it from your point of view she just is not wired that way and she always looks for the best possible outcome in everything" he contineud

"Sadly dad there may not be a happy ending to this, we were discussing possible ways of helping the brainwashed meteor freaks before and according to Dax-Ur there may not be a way of reverseing what they have done to them and Lana and even trying could wipe out their entire life" Clark informed them noting how Chloe winced at this and Jonathan sighed and rubbed his eyes as he took this in

"Seriously?" Lois inquired trying not to show any emotion at this news

"At the moment yes but we'll keep looking dad maybe you can talk to mom for me and try and get here to calm down" Clark answered "Chloe, Lois you're with me" he added as he grabbed his locator and Chloe and Lois joined him

"Just be careful Clark take whatever risks you feel will help but don't get careless in what you are about to do" Jonathan told him "I'll do what I can to make Martha see things more clearly" he added with a grin trying to ease the tension "Good luck" he said as they vanished

Jonathan looked around the empty kitchen and sighed knowing explaing things to Martha and makng her see things from Clark's point of view would not be easy and there would be lots of shouting but it needed to be done and so he turned and heading to their bedroom to start and was not surprised to find Martha was in the process of walking up and down the room angrily and before closing the door he prayed she would not explode at what he said.

(Fortress of Solitude)

Clark, Lois and Chloe looked around and noted everybody had returned to the fortress and Bruce was also acompanied by Barbara Gorden a.k.a Batgirl and he guessed he had finally managed to locate his friend and aquire her help in their final battle. Chloe quickly moved off and went straight to Bart and began to talk with him and Clark knew she was looking for some comfort as he had none to give right now and Lois was too controlled to let her emotions out to help her, he watched the two interact and wondered how the future would unwind for Chloe and Bart now they seemed to be approching becoming a couple instead of just friends before shaiking his head and heading for the main table where Lionel, Dax-Ur and Oliver stood

Bruce noted his appearance and soon joined them alongside Arthur, Raya, Diana and Kara whilst the rest of the League began to quite down and take their seats to listen to whatever their plan was whilst Lois left his side and went and joined Chloe and Bart

"Are we all ready Dax-Ur?" Clark asked as he came to a stop

"I believe so Kal-El" Dax-Ur replied with a smile "We are all rested and ready to fight, my chip for Brainiac is complete and we have multiple cyborgs on line to help us in the fight" he informed them

"Okay lets get this done" Clark said as he turned and faced his friends and allies as the others took their seats took "Okay we are now ready to attack Zod's base and finish this but we will not be rushing this so listen well" he began "Chloe, Bart, Lois and Arthur will transport to the outside of their base and hack into their security systems and shut them down causing confusion and and also give us a small advantage when we first attack once that is done Chloe and Lois will return to the fortress and stay here whilst Bart and Arthur join us in the attack is that understood?" he inquired

"Yeah Smallville" Lois was the one who replied pleased to finally be of some real help "We got it, drop in drop their security and get out piece of cake" she added whilst Chloe nodded also pleased to be included

"Okay now once we get inside Kara, Raya, Dax-Ur and J'ohnn will track down Brainiac and bring him down so Dax-Ur can insert his chip which should reporgram him and bring him onto our side" Clark continued "Once this goal has been achieved Kara and Raya will face off against Nam-Ek and Aethyr and remove them from the fight whilst the major part of the league will take out the remaining meteor freaks and villians they have there" he explained "I will of course head for Zod and engage him along with Jor-El, make sure you destroy as much of the base as you can except for the decvice they used to brainwash the meteor freaks and Lana" he added

"What about Lana Clark how do we handle her?" Oliver asked

"I have discussed this with my father and Dax-Ur and we believe Isobel maybe our key to taking Lana out of the fight, as a split personility which can asume control when ever she wishes we believe Zod has placed some kind of control collor on her to keep Isobel locked up so break the collor and Isobel is free to take control and aid us" Clark answered "Whoever does this makes sure it is indeed Isobel before turning their back on her" he added as a warning

"How will be know it is Isobel?" Bart asked

"Ask her the reason why she was corrupted by the teague family" Clark responded "The answer should be because she knew about the stones of power and was trying to defend them for her lover Xan-El, Lana should not remember this in her altered brainwashed state plus when Isobel asumes control you should see her eyes flash purple" he contineud

"And if she replies wrong?" Bart asked again

"Take her down as quickly as you can and then bring her back to the fortress where she can be put in suspended animation like Nyssa until we can turn our attention to trying to help her" he answered

"Is everyone clear on what they are too do?" Bruce asked as he stood and joined Clark and watched as everyone nodded by Talia and Ra "Ra, Talia you will remain her and prepare to reciece our wounded and get them to the medical area where the medical cyborgs will deal with them. I will show you were we set it up in a minute and you will also guide us through the floor plans we have up on the screen here" he informed them pointing to the main screen where all the information they had on the base was put up

"We understand" Ra said glad they had some thing to do for this battle

"Okay everyone suit up and be ready to go in ten minutes" Clark ordered whilst he headed for the control station and Bruce led Ra and Talia to the medical area

(Secret Base)

Zod woke to to silence and he quickly looked around noting Lana was alseep on the floor where he had left her last night, he had not touched her sexualy just yet prefering to torture and break her even more than she already was in her brainwashed state. Another reason was because he wanted a true Kryptonian woman to be his partner, once he had dealt with Kal-El and his friends he would tare open the portal to the phantom zone and free those of his people there including his wife.

He finally stood and prepared for what he expected to be a straight assault on his base, Kal-El like his father before him was a fool and tended to act rashly so he was not expecting any real complex idea behind their plan to strike. Exiting the room he headed to the control complex where Brainiac, Aethyr, Nam-Ek, Joker, Toyman and Bane his last remaining commanders for now.

The rest of his troops were either normal villians or insane meteor freaks, what he needed was combat ready Kryptonian soldiers and he wished he had his army at his back right now. But no what he had were weak pathetic earthlings two Kryptonian soliders and a Kryptonian A.I, so he guessed he was evenly matched against Kal-El's forces to a point.

"Ok they will be coming and we must be ready to face them so have every meteor freak and villian we have left prepared for a war" he ordered once they had all given him their attention "We will kill every last one of them no matter who it is, no prisoners this time remove them from this planet is that understood?" he asked in a deadly tone.

He almost smiled as they all nodded their heads but he was annoyed to see no fear from any of them, granted he did not expect it from his followers but the humans should have felt some fear considering what he could do to them. Oh well he thought he would ensure once this was over with he would install the right kind of fear into these pawns, he quickly shook his head and turned back to the problem at hand.

"Once we have destroyed them all we will head to the fortress and take it by force as I am sure Jor-El will be able to retreat there and try and take it from us, we will remove his presence permently from the fortress and then open the portal to the zone and free the prisoners there" he started again "This planet will burn under our feet as we become the masters and ruler of a new empire, an empire that will reach out across the stars and this time nothing will stop me" he added with a truly demented smile on his face.

The others just smiled and nodded imagining the wealth and power they would again from aiding him in his plans, it was the true weakness of the greedy he though. Like back on Krypton he had used many including Zor-El the brother of his worst enemy, to aid his plans but knowing once he had what he wanted he would remove the man so he would never become an actual threat. It was something he knew he would have to do here as some of these earthlings were just too independent to leave alive, they wanted their own little part of his empire and did not understand there would be only one king and that was him.

"Go carry out your orders and remember they may strike at any time so be ready" he ordered clearing the room of everyone but him and Brainiac "This planet's population is so easy to manipulate" he stated turning to the A.I.

"They are indeed Lord Zod, in the last timeline I manipulated many of them Kal-El included as he had been way to trusting" Brainiac responded "To think they believe themselves so advanced is redicoulous" he added with a shake of his head whilst Zod laughed at the very notion.

(Outside the Secret Base)

Bart and Arthur appeared first to check the area out before calling the all clear so Chloe and Lois could be sent, once they arrived they moved straight for the section of the base where they could tap into the security system. Chloe quickly got to work once she was in and with suggestions from Lois quickly bypassed the firewalls and traps Zod and Brainiac had set up, finally she found what she was looking for and with a few commands brought the entire base security down.

"It's done Clark, security is down" Chloe said into her earpiece with a smile as they quickly moved back to the transport site "Be careful guys especially you Bart" she added before quickly moving forward and kissing him before she and Lois vanished.

Bart was a little surprised by the move as he knew they had gotten close but not that close, suddenly noticing the chuckling Arthur he groaned knowing he was going to be teased about this for a while. He shook his head and moved to meet the others.

*Chapter 26*: Chapter 26

 

(Fortress of Solitude)

Clark watched Chloe, Lois, Bart and Arthur vanished from the fortress to begin the first part of their plan, he hoped he was not making a very big mistake in involving Chloe and Lois but he knew deep in his heart as well as from his memories how well the two could take care of themselves so he pushed his worry aside.

He looked around and noted everyone was ready and waiting to head out, Bruce was just kissing Talia for good luck before he pulled his mask on and stood next to Oliver who was priming his bow. Beside him stood Raya and Diana both looking as series as they had in his memories, he saw a flash of Raya as she looked when she died in the future and quickly banished it. He would not allow it to happen again he vowed, he felt Raya's hand find his and sqeeze it and he quickly returned it with a small smile. She could tell he was tense as they preapred for battle, a battle he hoped would finally end the nightmare future he still feared would happen.

Diana was not blind to the tenseness of Clark or Raya but she was too focused on the fight to come to offer any help, she had been trained for combat by some of the best warriors of Themyscira and she knew the kind of mindset one needed for battle. She also knew Clark and Raya would shake of their worry once the signal was given, she looked around and felt pride in been apart of a group of people such as she found herself apart of here.

Across from them Dax-Ur stood once more ready for the fight to come and what he hoped would be his redemption, if they could succesfully reprogram Brainiac then maybe he could finally be put to the use he would orginaly created for. Beside him stood Jor-El in his Avatar's body also ready for what he hoped would be a final clash with Zod his former friend turned mortal enemy, how he wished things had not progressed to this point how he wished things could be different.

He knew his son knew the truth of what had gone down on Krypton between him and Zod but he doubted he truly understood what it had been like in reality, there was a time when he and Zod had almost been like brothers but things changed too much and they became two different people with vastly different view points on what was best for Krypton and their people. Those differing points of veiw damaged their relationship to the breaking point especially as Zod became more darker and full of rage and arogance that only his views were right which finally turned into his desire to conquer their world and destroy all who opposed him.

The war that had comsumed their world had been devastating and something he hoped Earth could be spared of which was why he had sent Kal-El here in the first place, but it would seem this mission was much harder than it appeared and his son and what was left of the league in the future had fallen back on time travel to try and advert the same destruction from falling on this planet. He felt it nessacary to do all he could to aid his son in finally ridding this universe of Zod's perversive nature, he would avenge Krypton's fall and Lara's death.

"It's done Clark, security is down" Chloe's voice over the open comm link broke them all out of their thoughts and made them all look to Clark who took a deep breathe.

"Ok you all know the plan and what to do" he stated with a confident smile "Stick close to one another and try not to get seperated as that is how they will bring us down like they did with Lana, we know who we are fighting and we know what they are capable off so lets go take care of this problem once and for all" he added his smile fading.

They watched as Lois and Chloe finally returned and they all noted Lois was laughing whilst Chloe had a red face and they briefly wondered what had happened before they all teleported out of the fortress along with the cyborgs Jor-El had created for the fight, Talia shivered slightly and she prayed Bruce would return to her alive and well. Ra noted his daughter's action and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, whilst he watched Lois continue to tease Chloe.

(Secret Base)

Zod looked up as the lights went out before the emergency power came on, he smiled grimly as it meant the battle was about to begin, he would look forward to finally gaining his ultimate revenge on Jor-El for everything he had taken from him including his rightful place as ruler of Krypton and from there the universe.

He turned to Brianiac and nodded at him to go and help in the defence before wondering which member of the house of El he should kill first, maybe by killing Kal-El and Kara first he would break Jor-El's spirit completely. The idea had merit he thought but then again maybe killing his old foe first would be more fun, in the end he guessed it would depend on who reached him first. Once he had finally destroyed the house of El he would also remove that old relic Dax-Ur as well just for attempting to aid them in stopping him, today would the beginning of his conquest of the known universe and this time nothing would stand in his way or stop him for achieving his destiny.

Suddenly the doors to his base exploded inward and his smile grew bigger as he watched the league pour in, he watched as Joker and Bane broke off and headed towards Batman and his circle of close allies. Not that he was surprised by that as he knew they both had personal scores to settle as well, Toyman he noted was trying to get close to Green Arrow with a few of his pipe bombs and Brainiac it seemed was proberly hunting Dax-Ur.

"Kill them all" he shouted as his army of normal villains and insane meteor freaks charged towards the enemy.

Clark unleashed a devastating barrage of heat vision into the approaching horde of insane meteor freaks killing many of them, he had told each of the league to not hesitate to kill the insane freaks as they were doing them a favour. They were ending the pain and insanity Zod/Luthor and his allies had inflicted on them, Batman flung a batbomb into the crowd which exploded and took out another three before they reached the first of the hero's. Arthur was pushed back as three meteor freaks crashed into him along side Donna and Nightwing. Kyle took to the air and used his ring to create a prison for a few of the meteor freaks before he was brought down by a flung pipe; he hit the ground hard with a broken noise but quickly got back up. Jade and Obsidian quickly moved to aide him, Batman faced the charge of Joker and Bane both had hate filled faces as they rushed him and he knew this would be not easy.

Diana crashed into a wave of normal villains who had joined with Zod with Kara by her side, their powers were no match for the Amazon princess or the last Krytonian woman still living and they easily pushed them back taking them down with powerful punches to their faces and chest. Oliver unleashed some of his gas arrows whilst trying to help Bruce who was now in the middle of a heated fight with Joker and Bane, he was taking some bad blows as he was been double teamed. Zatanna moved to his side and began to unleash her magic.

"Help Bruce" she told him "I'll deal with this lot" she added as confidently as she could. Oliver hesitated for a few minutes before he nodded and rushed into the fight hitting Bane in the side and just stopping the mad man from putting a blade into the distracted Batman's back.

Clark growled as he watched Brainiac nail Catwoman so hard she sailed into the wall and dropped to the floor unconscious with blood around her mouth and noise. Atom tried to aide her but was quickly take out of the fight as well as Brainiac flung him into the roof and then grabbed his leg and sent him crashing into the floor with a thud. He supersped over and caught the finishing blow that would have killed Atom and pushed Brainiac away, the two now faced one another.

"Are you ready to die at last Kal-El?" Brainiac asked with an amused smile "All you've done is delay the inevitable, I know exactly how badly you did in the first time line and now you will fail again" he taunted his smiling growing cold as his eyes bored into Clark's.

"Over my rotting corpse" Clark shot back with a growl "I will not fail, not here and not now" he added as they began to circle one another "It is you who will fail" he stated before he launched himself forward.

Brainiac was ready for the attack and managed to block it and soon they began to trade powerful blows, each landed some heavy shots but neither could land a finishing blow. Brainiac shoved Clark into the nearby wall shattering most of it from the force; Clark shoved him back and lashed out with a head butt which staggered Brainiac. They began to trade blows again, behind them Diana and Kara continued to take down the allies of Zod with force. Kara like her cousin unleashed the full potential of her heat vision and roasted one of the insane meteor freaks as it managed to pound Diana to the ground.

Dax-Ur and Jor-El quickly rushed forward and pounced on the distracted Brainiac as he managed to send Clark flying through the wall with a devastating right hook, between the two they managed to force the A.I to the ground as Clark stumbled over to them and took the device from Dax-Ur which they hoped would reprogram him back to his original purpose.

"NOO" Brainiac struggled but found he could not dislodge the two onto of him "I will not be beat especially not by you Dax-Ur" he screamed before Clark pushed the device onto the back of his neck.

The device lit up and instantly began to reprogram Brainiac just as Dax-Ur had planned, the AI's eyes turned green as his programming began to be rewritten. His struggles stopped although neither Dax-Ur nor Jor-El released him just in case he was faking, Clark took deep breathes as he recovered from the blows he had taken. He looked around wondering where Zod was hiding or where he was keeping Lana.

"Is it working?" he asked.

"I believe so, go Kal-El find Zod" Dax-Ur urged him in response as he briefly looked up at him.

Clark nodded and took of hoping to find Zod and finally put an end to this madness, behind him Bart blocked off two of the Meteor freaks who tried to stop him. Arthur quickly joined him and together they fought the two back from the door Clark had just vanished through, J'onn blasted through three more of the meteor freaks with his strengh and speed aiding him. Joker growled as Batman again dodged his sword swips and lunged forward again only he over extended himself which left him vulnerable to Bruce's back kick which caught him in the chest. The Joker fell backwards but regained his footing and circled his nemsis again, behind them Oliver and Bane continued to exchange left and rights. Both were bloody but they continued to fight, the League was gaining ground.

Clark entered what looked like a command centre as it was filled with maps of the city and what liked potenial points of attack, he looked around feeling as if he was been watched.

"Welcome Kal-El" Zod's cold voice made him spin around to face his foe as he stepped out of the shadows, he felt a cold shiver go down his spine as he brought Lana out with him. Her eyes were vacant of the woman he had loved for so long, he noticed thd collar on her neck and he glared at Zod who seemed to notice the direction of his gaze "Ah yes the collar, it was nessacary to use that to keep that witch which is inside Lana under control, I did not want anything to mess with Lana's new personality which is loyal only to me" he taunted Clark seeing the pain this caused.

"And for that you will pay" Clark all but shouted as he felt his rage and anger spike "You destroyed our home world but that was not enough for you, you had to come here and do the same here" he continued as he moved forward "Well your desire for conquest ends here Zod, I will stop you" he stated as he prepared for the fight ahead.

"You have courage Kal-El I give you that but like your father you do not have what it takes to beat me" Zod responded as he placed his left hand around Lana's neck "Now surrender or I will kill her" he ordered.

Clark froze as he looked into Zod's cold eyes and knew he was serious, everything inside of him screamed at him to do as he had been ordered except that one part of him that was Kal-El from the future. He knew what awaited them if he surrender, but could he sacarfice Lana as he had done since she had been kidnapped. Thankfully he did not have to find out as Jor-El exploded out of the wall behind Zod and flung him away from Lana, Clark quickly enaged Zod as he jumped back to his feet and they began to wail on one another quickly drawing blood.

Jor-El knocked Lana out and handed her over to Brainiac who then took her back to the fortess, Jor-El was relieved Dax-Ur's reprogramming device had worked. It had taken Zod's best ally away from him and now hopefully the AI could be used for its real purpose, he looked back as Kal-El was flung into the wall with such force it broke behind him. Kal-El quickly regained his feet but was backhanded halfway across the room, filled with rage he rushed forward and intercepted his former friend turned bitteriest rival and struck him with all the force he could manage. Zod was sent realing back into the wall damaging it furthur.

"Not bad Jor-El" Zod said wiping the blood from his mouth "But today the house of El falls" he promised as he stalked towards the avatar of his former friend "No one can stop me, not you, not your son and not your niece either" he swore.

Back outside Oliver finally stumbled from the many blows he had taken from Bane and was then finally kicked backwards, he felt a couple of ribs break and knew he was finished for this fight. Bane stalked forward intending to kill the fool who had interupted his fight with Batman but J'onn intercepted him, having turned himself into a replica of Bruce. Bane screamed a cry of fury as he thought he was fighitng his hated nemsis and began to try and kill him, J'onn felt the power behind the blows but quickly fought back. Jade and Obsidion noting that they had the upper hand quickly recovered Atom, Catwoman and Oliver and took them back to the fortress for treatment.

Bruce was getting tired of fighting the Joker and finally decided to end it, he waited for the insane clown to come at him again with his sword and then twisted sideways and lashed out with two quick right hooks followed by a knee to the man's chest. This sent Joker to the ground and he quickly brought his elbow down into the man's exposed neck which knocked Joker out finally. He turned to find Bane and noted he was fighting an exact replica of him, he frowned for a minute before he realised it had to be J'onn who must have copied him. He looked around and noted Diana, Raya and Kara were taking down the last of the Meteor freaks, whilst Bart and Arthur dealt with some of the normal villians although he noted most had escaped clearly noting they had been beat. He nodded pleased by this before he went and struck Bane from behind, striking him at the knee's he brough the madman down and then nailed him in the face with a right hook whilst J'onn followed it with his own shot and they continued until Bane stoped trying to get back up.

The wall exploded causing all of the remaining League members turn to see Jor-El fly through the air only to land painfuly haflway into the room, turning fully they saw Zod step out of the hole with a grin on his face.

"Time to finally die old man" Zod spat at his hated foe who struggled to get back up but knew Lionel's body was just to exhausted to do anymore.

"I don't think so Zod" Clark's voice made Zod spin around but he was to slow and he was struck with a blast of heat vision in the chest which sent him flying backwards.

Clark shot forward and began to strike Zod with left and rights as hard as he could make them, Zod struck back as best he could but he noted the rage from Kal-El was giving his foe an edge. He tried to catch Kal-El's legs with a trust kick but Clark jumped over them and nailed Zod in the face with a back hand, he followed it up with his own kick which again forced Zod back.

Zod growled in anger before he fought back and managed to catch Kal-El in the chest, the force of the blow sent him to the ground but he quickly rolled back to his feet. Some of the other League members wanted to help but Diana and Raya stopped them, they reminded them this was Kal-El's right and he had to end it. Zod lashed out again but Clark moved out of the way and nailed Zod in the side with his boot, he followed it with an elbow in the back and then a right hook which finally staggerd Zod and allowed Clark to punch him in the chest with all the force he could muster. Zod smashed into the left over remains of the wall and collasped to the ground, his vision was beginning to blur and he cursed not having a full kryptonian body as not matter how much Luthor's had been upgraded it would never be as good as his real body.

"Damn you and your family for always getting in my way" he spat as he tried to force himself back to his feet "I would have been a god if not for you" he added.

"That was always your problem" Jor-El spat as he was helped up by Dax-Ur "You lust for power was always too great, you were once a great soldier and defender of our people but look at you now" he continued "A disgrace, a murderer and the man who destroyed our home, all because of your lust for power" he growled.

"Silence, I always hated your sermans Jor-El" Zod growled as he finally managed to regain his feet and tried to attack Clark again but he was too weak from the combat and was easily blocked and Clark nailed him in the face again.

"Your lust for power ends now" Clark growled as he stepped forward and finally knocked Zod out cold leaving the room in silence.

"What do we do now?" Bart asked as he held his side which hurt from a bad shot he had taken from one of the meteor freaks.

"We take Joker, Bane and Zod and send them to the Phamton zone and then we get ready to face the music of our actions when we alert the government of what we have done" Bruce answerered holding his own side

"Is there anyway to draw Zod out of Luthor before we send them to the zone?" Raya inquried as she and Diana moved to Clark's side.

"Brainiac told is there is no way to reverse what was done to Luthor unless Zod himself left his host and I doubt Zod will do such a thing" Dax-Ur told her with a shake of his head.

"Let's get back to the fortress and send these three to the zone" Clark said as he grabbed Zod. J'onn grabbed Bane whilst Bruce picked up the Joker. As one they activated their beacons and vanished as the sould of the police began to sound.

(Fortress of Solitude)

Everyone watched as Bane was flung into the zone first and then Bruce moved forward with the Joker, the expression of his face was calm as he pushed his greatest enemy into the portal hopful it would be enough to contain not only Joker but the other criminals they had sent through so far. Clark and Jor-El then moved Zod forward and with a brief glance at each other flung him in as well, they had decided it was too dangerous to allow Zod to regain counciounes before they sent him through.

"It's over" Diana said as he leaned against Clark as did Raya. Talia leaned against Bruce pleased to see him return in good healt and also witnessing what she hoped was the permanat exile of the Joker and Bane, two of Bruce's greatest hugged Chloe as she watched events from the back next to Lois and Karl.

"No, not yet" Clark disagreed with a shake of his head "We have to see if we can save Lana from whatever they did to her and we also have to see if we can do what Ra asked us to do in concerns to Nyssa" he reminded them.

*Chapter 27*: Chapter 27

 

(Fortress of Solitude)

Clark watched as Dax-Ur and Brainiac worked together as they began the process of trying to undo what had been done to Lana, he and the others were still somewhat edgy around the AI even though they knew it was no longer a threat. Jor-El was busy trying to remove all the negative hate and rage Nyssa had towards her sister and father, Bruce was watching the process with Talia and Ra.

"Kal-El I was just wondering I thought you were going to kill Zod instead of sending him to the zone?" Kara inquired from behind him along with a few of the other members of the League including Raya and Diana.

"I was going to Kara" Clark admitted "But in the end I decided banishment back to the zone was the worse outcome for Zod and for Lex" he continued as he looked at the others "Nearly everyone who knows about the zone are either here or in the zone itself, the chances of them escaping are a million to one" he stated with as much confidence as he could manage.

"And if he does somehow escape?" Bart asked from beside Chloe who was leaning against his side with a smile pleased the war had been stopped and hopeful her friend would soon be back in her right mind.

"We will be ready to deal with it and if he does escape then I will end him" Clark answered with a dark look at the idea "Kal and my future self would end him in a second but if we are going to be hero's people will trust we cannot kill without at least trying to imprison them first" he continued "The insane meteor freaks were different in that there was no hope of them been saved, we could not undo what was done to them" he stated.

"We understand Kal-El" Raya assured him with a sympathetic smile "Let us hope Zod never escapes because his revenge will be shift and deadly" she stated.

"I know" Clark agreed with a nod of is head as he turned his attention back to Dax-Ur and Brainiac working on Lana.

"By the way Clark" Oliver spoke up "Bruce and I with Lionel's help have managed to convince the press to hold a conference tomorrow morning so we can explain what we have to done to the criminals we caught as well as the fact the war is over" he explained.

"Let us hope the people respond as we expect them to" Jade said with uncertainty "We know the government is not going to like it but if we have the support of the people we should escape without the government coming after us" she stated with quite a bit of uncertainty in her voice still.

"They should considering they will never again have to worry about the likes of Joker, Sinestro, Bane or Riddler" Arthur put in "That has to count in our favour" he added as he leaned against the wall.

"We'll find out soon enough" Diana said knowing that it was not going to be easy to face the press and through them the government and the people but she was confident it would turn out in their favour once they realised the world was safer with the major criminals exiled to the zone.

"How is it going Dax-Ur?" Clark inquired wondering if Lana could be brought back at all or if she was lost forever. The idea of her been post forever caused him great pain, even if he had felt a distance from her as her recalled more and more from his future memories.

"Undoing what has been done to Lana is not a simple procedure Kal-El" Dax-Ur answered with a sigh "Her entire life has been rewritten, however having Isobel within Lana with a set of her real memories should help us bring Lana back as she was before she was kidnapped" he informed them.

"How is Isobel?" Clark couldn't help but inquired knowing it could not have been easy for the witch to watch as Lana was brainwashed and then used by Zod.

"Before we put her to sleep so we could work she told me to tell you how sorry she was that she failed to protect Lana" Dax-Ur answered "I think you will need to have a long conversation with her once we are finished" he stated.

"I know" Clark said with a nod of his head "I'll leave you to it, I best go and see my parents and let them know we did it" he added a few seconds later "I suggest everyone get some rest or visit your loved ones because tomorrow is not going to be easy for any of us" he went on as he turned to the group behind him "You've earned the time to relax, we've saved the world and stopped the future I saw in my future memories" he told them with a grateful smile" he finished as he ran a hand through his hair.

The group nodded and began to break up except for Raya who intended to accompany him to the farm, Diana hugged him and they almost lost themselves in a heated kiss before she moved to Donna's side and left to inform their mother they had succeeded in their mission. The others used their crystals to return home bar Chloe who joined Clark and Raya; she hoped Mr Kent had managed to talk Martha around. Clark shot one last look at where Lana's body lay before he activated his crystal; they vanished in a bright light.

(Kent Farm)

Jonathan looked up as Clark finally returned with Raya and Chloe; he noted they all looked pretty happy or at least happier than when he had last seen them. He ran a hand through his hair and hoped they had done it, that the fighting was finished and he especially hoped that they had rescued Lana or Martha was going to explode. They had been arguing quite a while since the group had left to fight the final battle, Martha just would not accept the idea of Clark not doing all he could to rescue Lana as he had before. She did not want to think that Lana maybe lost to them completely; she still hoped Lana would become her daughter in law. What she seemed to have forgotten is that Clark would not be just marrying Lana if she could be saved, he would most likely marry Raya and Diana as well.

"How did it go son?" he finally asked as each took a seat at the dinning room table.

"We did it dad, Zod and nearly all his allies are now in the zone" Clark answered with a relieved smile that set Jonathan at ease somewhat "We think Toyman managed to escape but apart from that the others are in the zone" he explained.

"What about Lana?" Martha demanded to know as she entered the kitchen clearly having been listening to them.

"We managed to rescue her but whether Dax-Ur and Brainiac can undo the brainwashing that was done to her we don't know yet" Clark answered as he turned to face her "Dax-Ur is hopeful it can be undone as Isobel has a complete set of Lana's memories within her, and as they are joined still well that should help" he explained knowing his mother would not like this "We can only wait and see what happens" he stated.

Martha stared at him before shaking her head and storming away, she was angered to see how little the news seemed to affect Clark. More and more since he had gotten the memories his future self she saw far more of Kal than the son she had raised, she cursed the day those memories came back. Jonathan let out a sigh as he watched his wife all but storm out of the room, he was worried this event could tare their family apart especially if Lana was indeed lost forever.

"I'm sorry son, I've tried talking to her again and again on this matter" he said clapping a hand on his son's shoulder as he noted the slight slump in Clark's posture "But she will not see anything but the loss of Lana and what she see's as your lack of care to get her back" he admitted.

"I care" Clark shot back heatedly "Believe me I do, but I am far more than I used to be when Lana was all I could ever see" he explained "Even when I remove the memories of my future self, it will not change how I now view things" he admitted running a hand through his hair "I will recall what has happened to me through all this, it has changed me for the better in my eyes" he stated with real belief showing in his eyes as he looked at his father.

"I think so to son" Jonathan told him proudly "You've become the kind of person I always knew you could be, you are ready to become a hero for this world even earlier than I expected" he continued "You might have lost some of the love you used to have for Lana but I don't think it is all gone, just spread between Diana and Raya" he added "Loving three people can't leave the kind of love you used to show for Lana, she will have to come to understand this if she is brought back" he went on with a small smile "I am sure your mother will come around in the end" he finished hoping to set Clark's mind at ease.

"Yeah I think Mr Kent is right Clark" Chloe put in hoping to help cheer Clark up "She'll come around and before you know it everything will be like normal well almost" she added with a grin.

"You must keep faith Kal-El" Raya stated "Martha Kent is hurt and upset right now, when she has calmed down and truly seen what you and the League have accomplished I think she will finally understand the sacrifice you had to make for the world" she continued "A sacrifice I think any of them would have made including Lana had it been you who was captured" she suggested.

"I think Raya is right, Lana would have done it knowing you would not want her to risk everything just to save him" Chloe agreed with a nod of her head "As much as it hurts to admit, you did the right thing Clark" Chloe finally acknowledged.

Clark nodded his head before he turned and exited the house to head to the barn; Raya quickly followed him knowing this was not easy for him. He had never been at odds with his adoptive mother so badly; it had to be hurting him. Lara she believed would have been more understanding, but then she had stood by her husband's side as their planet was destroyed. She had never doubted or second guessed any of Jor-El's decisions to try and save Krypton; she had been supportive and caring. Martha Kent in her eyes failed in this regard, but then Martha Kent had not seen war as Lara or anyone else including Kal-El had seen it.

Clark stood at the barn doors where this journey had begun and looked out into the night time sky, he saw the stars were burning brightly and he wished Krypton was still viewable. Raya leaned against him and he brought his arm across her to draw her nearer, he felt a bit calmer now but he hoped his mother would calm down and see he could not have made any other choice but the one he had made.

"Are you okay Kal-El?" Raya inquired worried by his continued silence.

"In time Raya in time" Clark responded as he leaned his head against hers and lost himself in the beauty of the stars.

(Press Conference, Next day)

Clark stood with Bruce, Oliver and the others as they waited for the press to finish entering the large hall. This he hoped would be the true notification of the Justice League's birth; it could go either two ways once they had said their peace. He had hope it would end in their favour, Raya and Diana stood by his side and their close presence gave him strength not to fidget. Dax-Ur, Lionel, Ra and Talia were the only members missing; none of them believed their presence would help matters especially where it concerned Ra and Lionel. Finally the last few members of the press arrived and it was time to start, he was thankful they were all in costume for this.

"I thank you all for coming" Bruce said starting the conference as the most recognisable hero within the group "As you know the last time I spoke to the press I stared a war had begun between the group I now stand with the League, and a group of villains who intended to destroy the world and rule what was left" he explained "I now state for the moment the war has been won, the League defeated the villains yesterday" he told the assembled mass of reporters who immediately began to shout questions.

After a few minutes of nothing but chaos the press settled down enough for Kelly Benson of the Daily Planet to ask the first question, she seemed pleased to hear the fighting was over.

"Batman, exactly what has happened to villains as we've had no word from the authorities that they have been handed over as normal?" Kelly inquired.

"We did not hand them over to the authorities Miss Benson, we exiled them to what is known as the Phantom Zone" Bruce answered knowing this was where the real trouble began "Before you ask the Phantom Zone is a prison of alien origin which is used to house the worst criminals of the known 28 galaxies" he explained.

"Are you saying you are in contact with alien life Batman?" John Cooper of the Metropolis Inquisitor inquired.

Bruce did not answer as Clark moved forward hoping this did not get as crazy as he suspected it would, Bruce gave him a clap on the shoulder for support.

"My name is Kal-El, I was born on the planet Kryton before it was destroyed by a civil war. I was sent to this planet to survive by my parents due to the fact my people have been here many timesbefore, I was adopted by human parents and raised as one of you" he informed the now eagerly listening press "However due to my alien nature I gained many vast powers from your yellow son, I will not discuss those powers here as at the moment that is not important" he told them pausing for a second as he gathered his thoughts "I was sent here to ensure this planet did not suffer the same fate as Kryton, my father hoped I would become a symbol of hope to your kind. Someone to look up to when the darkness grew" he went on "I am not the only Kryptonian here, my cousin Kara-Zor-El was also sent here and another of our kind has been here for many years before we came" he told them before he was interupted.

"If everything you have just said is true, why have your people spent so much time on earth and why chose it as the place to escape to?" Max Dixon of the Metropolis Journal demaned to know.

"I can't really say what drew so many of my kind to this planet, all I know is my people are not the only ones who have found a home on this planet" Clark answered as best he could "Other species have come here, both good and evil, you are not alone in this universe and now you know this truth" he stated "I and those like me who are part of the League are sworn to defend this planet and its people even if it costs us our lives, it is the reason we are here above even the survival of our race" he explained.

"How can we honestly trust you if you are not born on this planet?" another reporter demanded to know looking a little fearful.

"Trust takes time, you have come to trust many of the hero's now standing before you and I am sure in time you will come to trust us as well" Clark responded "We are not your enemies and I hope your govements who are listening to this realise this truth" he stated.

"Can you explain anything about this intergalatic prison Batman mentioned?" Kelly Benson inquired deciding to move things back to the point at hand.

"Yes I can as it was built by my people including my own father, it's purpose is to imprision the worst criminals of the known 28 know galaxies" Clark informed them "Criminals like The Joker and Bane, and intergalatic ones such as Sinestro" he continued "There are no guards in this prison, no fences and absoultly no way of escape" he concluded.

"Why have you decided to send the captured villains to this zone when you have been content to let the local police and justice systems deal with them?" John Cooper asked.

Oliver moved up to Clark's side and took over the microphone "we made the choice due to the fact that every villian we have taken down and handed over to the government has escaped and gone onto cause more destruction and death than the time before" he explained their reasoning for their new way of dealing with their enemies "It is high time we dealt with these people on a more permanent basis and ensure they never hurt the people again" he stated.

"Does that mean all the criminals you capture will be sent to the zone?" Kelly Benson inquired finding the idea quite pleasing as it meant they would no longer have to fear manmen like the Joker.

"No, only the worst of the worst" Bruce answered moving back to the front of the group "The League stands together to protect the people of this planet as a whole, we will be on call at all times but a time will come when we will retire and allow others to step up and take our place" he explained.

"Do you see yourselves above the goverments of the world?" Max Dixon demanded to know beliving this was going to be the best story he had ever written.

"Of course not, whilst we do not answer to any one government but to the people of this world as a whole" Oliver answered with a shake of his head "We will of course abide by the laws of the government and work with them if needs be, if one of us should turn we will turn that individual over to the government unless there was an outside influence causing such a turn" he informed them "The League is not above the law" he stated much to the relief of the people infront of them.

"How many aliens are in the League altogether?" Kelly Benson inquired thinking this would be the biggest story the Daily Planet had ever had and the fact she was the one reporting on it would sement her place in its history.

"Seven in all and whilst most of them are from Kyrpton not all are" Clark told them "Each of us who have come here from somewhere else have found a home here and we intend to ensure it remains safe" he finished and then moved away from the microphone.

"How many criminals have you sent to the zone already Green Arrow?" Max Dixon asked continuing to make notes.

"Joker, Bane, Sinestro, Deathstroke, Riddler and the leader of the villians Lex Luthor" Bruce answered knowing Lionel had agreed to allow Lex to be named as he intended to make an annoucement tommorow on the subject "They have been sent to the zone for their crimes, their actions resulted in the death of far to many lives as to be given a chance to escape and cause more death" he added.

(Kent Farm)

Martha, Jonathan, Chloe and Lois watched the news conference with mixed feelings, each wondering how the govements of the world would take what Clark and his friends had said. It would be a lot to take in for most people, granted due to some hero's the knowledge of life outside their planet was not as crazy as it seemed.

(Fortress of Solitude)

Lionel felt conflicted as Bruce let it be known that Lex had been behind the group of villians who had caused such destruction and death, he had agreed it was nessacary but still he felt conflicted. Lex had become a monster thanks in part to his own stupidity in the way he had raised him, he wished it could have been different now he saw the error of so many of his previous choices.

Dax-Ur continued to work alongside Jor-El on cursing Lana and Nyssa of the evil now within them, Isobel ensured that when not asleep she could do no harm until the brainwashing had been undone. Talia sat near her father hoping this would be the beginning of a whole new part not only of her life but more importantly Bruce's as well. Ra placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder in support, he glanced at where Nyssa lay and hoped she could be saved from the darkness within her.

(Press Conference)

Clark watched as the press filed out and let out a breathe as he felt so damn tense, the questions had just kept coming. But finally it was over, and now they had to wait and see what kind of response they would get from the goverments. He noted Kelly Benson from the Daily Planet had not left along with the other reporters and he wondered what she wanted, he moved towards her.

"Can I help you Miss Benson?" he inquired.

"I was just wondering Kal-El if you and your friends are ready for the kind of chaos that will come once this story is put out tommorow?" Kelly inquired with a brief smile.

"Yes we are, we knew it would not be easy once the story was told but we are ready for the response" Clark answered "We are confident the people will back us up, they no longer have to fear so many dangerous criminals and we intend to make the world even safer" he added with conviction.

"I hope so" Kelly responded "I really do, it is high time someone managed to keep these deranged psycho's in prison even if it is a intergalatic prison" she stated before she turned and left the room.

"That's a smart woman" Arthur said from behind him, Clark glanced at him and nodded his head in agreement.

"I agree and exactly the kind of person we want writing what went on here at the Daily Planet" Clark told him "I think we might be off to a good start" he stated.

"Lets Hope so" Arthur shot back as they re-joined the others and returned to the fortress with their crystals.

(LuthorCorp, Next day)

Lionel stood at the front of a large crowd that included a lot of press, however the majority were the company's board members and employee's. This was going to be the beginning of a new era of his company and what he hoped would be the redemption of his family name, finally the noise died down and he knew it was time to start.

"I know for many of you" he began "You have come here to hear about my son Lex been named as the leader of the group of villians who caused so much damage lately" he continued "I am afriad to say the story is true, Lex had a relapse of the brake down he suffered at the beginning of last year only it had a much more serious affect on him" he explained "He became a completely different person and he used this company for his own ends, that ends today as after a meeting with the board I have once again been named owner of the company" he stated "All illegal projects he started have been shut down and all evidence turned over the proper authorties, should Lex somehow escape his new prison he will never be able to take control of my company as I have disowned him of all his rightful inheritence" he went on before he paused and took a drink of water from the near by glass "From this day onwards Lex Luthor has no connection to myself or this company" he finished.

"Mr Luthor, may I inquire then who will inherite the company when you step down or pass on?" Kelly Benson inquired shocked by this turn of events and wondering how it was she was getting so many exciting stories lately.

"In the last three years I have come to know a family who have raised a young man anyone would be happy to call a son, whilst my previous contact with his parents have been somewhat shaky I feel I have formed a strong bond with them now and after a long talk they have agreed to allow me to name their son as my successor" Lionel answered "His name is Clark Kent, he has shown he has what it takes to help my company make a new more cleaner image for itself in the years to come" he continued with a smile "The board have already been told my choice and whilst some of them are unsure of my choice I am sure as time goes on they will realise what I already know, he is a worthy successor" he finished.

This left a rather stunned crowd as they tried to grasp the fact that Lionel Luthor had chosen some unknown teenager to be his successor, but they guessed his stated friendship with the boy and his parents was behind this unexpected move.

"What did you mean by your company having a cleaner image in the future Mr Luthor?" one of the other reporters inquired.

"My company lately has suffered a lot of bad press due to projects that were not in its best interest, I admit I made many mistakes which caused some these events but no where as close as Lex did" Lionel answered "From this point on Luthorcorp is dedicated to bettering mankind, all projects dealing with offensive weapons will be scapped" he explained to the even more stunned mass "We will instead excel in defencesive technologies and other things that will make all our lives better" he stated "I will also ensure those who work under me never have to suffer an unjust sacking again or fear for their jobs, they are from this point forward secure and are what makes my company succesful" he continued "I hope in the coming years to remove the black mark against my family name" he finished before he stepped away from the podium and watched as his workers exploded in cheers and clapping. Others joined in as the press made notes for the story they would write.

Clark, Martha and Jonathan stood in an unseen section of the room behind a two way mirror watcing the conference. Clark wondered at how this would affect the future as he doubted he would end up a reporter anytime soon thanks to this twist, he knew his parents were still unsure of Lionel making Clark his heir but they decided they could not interfer as Clark had made the choice to except. Over the next couple of years he would be trained in all manner of ways to take over the company, Raya, Diana and a few others from the League would be given jobs at Luthorcorp as well whilst others would join Queen Industries or even Wayne Enterprise.

(Fortress of Solitude, A Week Later)

Clark sat at the main console of the fortress working on the first planning draft for the Watchtower, which would end up been built exactly how it was built in the future. But it would now be a join project between Luthorcorp, Wayne Enterprise and Queen Industries and thus the cost of building it would be shared. Clark would be adding the alien technology which would allow them to monitor the earth for threats, there was also going to be monitoring scanners for detecting threats from space. Teleporting technology would again be added as would defensive weapons, there would be no offensive weapons at least not unless they were needed.

He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair as he knew soon he would have to leave with Kara, Raya, Brainiac and a copy Jor-El's AI. They were going to head into deep space to locate the city of Kandor which he had finally admitted had survived the destruction of Krypton. Kara had been out raged at first that he had kept this news from her, once she had calmed down she had realised he had been right and the news would have just distracted her. The journey there and back would take them a week or two to complete, whilst they were gone cyborgs replica's of them would take their places at school and as members of the League.

"How is it going Kal-El?" Dax-Ur asked from behind him and he turned to see the elder Krytonian behind him as well as Brainiac.

"Slowly but I am sure to have it completed before we leave to find Kandor" Clark responded with a tired smile "Of course even once the plans are complete we'll have to refine them before we even think of beginning to build the Watchtower" he added "But in the end it should be worth it" he concluded.

"Agreed Kal-El" Jor-El spoke up from the console "It will allow us to monitor for any threats from both earth bound problems and far into deep space" he reminded them "Once Kandor has been brought into moon orbit, it will be even more important to be prepared for any kind of threat" he stated.

"You realise our plans for Kandor are not going to go down well with the governments of the world" Kara cut in making them all turn to face her "They might see it as an attempt at invasion" she suggested.

"I don't think it will that bad Kara, infact I think many would be awed by such a thing happening in their lifetime" Clark responded with a shake of his head no fully convinced on his own response but thinking Kara was been a little over dramatic as the response to the truth of aliens been on earth had not been as bad as he had first feared.

The people had of course been stunned by the news that there really was other life in the universe, far more than they had ever believed. That quite a few had come to see earth as home even more surprising, the governments had of course not been happy about what had happened to Lex and the other criminals. The people had as they had hoped backed them up and thus in the end had the governments had given their approval to the League to send the worst repeat criminals to the zone, however they were sure some of the more dangerous elements of the governments had designs on them in the future.

"Do not be complacent Kal-El" Raya broke in from the side who stood beside Diana, Donna, Bruce and Talia who had also joined them.

"What do you mean Raya?" Clark inquired.

"The military and those who think like them will see us and our people once Kandor is here as threats especially in big numbers" Raya responded "We will have to take every precaution to ensure the safety of both worlds, not only from outside threats but also from each other until they learn to trust we are no danger to them and they are no danger to us" she explained hoping her lover took this warning to heart.

"I have to agree with Raya Clark" Bruce said "Some branches of the government and especially the military will not be pleased to have a city full of aliens with super powers near earth" he continued.

"Maybe we should instead of moving Kandor into moon orbit" Jor-El suggested "We should move it into the orbit of one of the other planets; we could then use our technology to terraform it" he explained to them "It would take away the kind of fear humans would fear from it been in moon orbit, it would also give our people a lot more protection as humans cannot travel far in space at this time" he added.

"Jor-El's idea has merit" Kara agreed with her uncle and hoped Kal-El would see the wisdom in it as well "Kal-El I know you were raised here and have a more confident view of the majority of humans but in this case I think you may be seeing far to much good in them" she continued "Until they can really learn to trust us, we cannot put Kandor so close to where they could fire a weapon at it" she stated.

"Ok Kara you've made your point" Clark agreed reluctantly because he knew she was right Humans were not perfect and once Kandor was here, it might just cause panic especially if they put it in moon orbit so close to earth "We'll move it into orbit of Saturn and terraform its moon Titan" he decided.

"That is a good choice Kal-El as Titan has a substantial atmosphere which will make terraforming it easier for us" Jor-El agreed pleased by his son's logic.

"I have good news as well" Dax-Ur said as the others nodded in agreement "After many failures Brainiac and myself have finally succeeded in undoing the brainwashing to Lana, she is resting at this minute recovering from what I am sure was a hellish procedure as it was not without pain" he admitted with a pleased smile.

Clark let out a smile at that piece of news and swept Raya into his arms and kissed her, hopefully this news would put his relationship with his mother back to normal and remove the strain that had befallen it since Lana was kidnapped. He then clapped Dax-Ur on his shoulder and thanked him for his hard work, he even thanked Brainiac as this verison of the AI was not the one who had brainwashed Lana in the first place at least that was how he saw it.

"What about Nyssa?" Talia inquired wondering if Dax-Ur and Brainiac had managed to work their magic on her sister as wel.

"We managed to remove the hatred that she has for you and your father from her memories, and we have managed to change her personality into something more in line with you" Brainiac stated before pausing as he considered his next piece of news knowing it might not be received well "However as Dax-Ur warned you before, messing with someone's memories is risky and we believe Nyssa may have suffered some memory loss as a result of the operation we used to fix her" he explained.

"How much memory loss?" Talia asked actually feeling worried for her sister now she knew Nyssa was no longer a threat to her, Bruce and her father. Bruce detecting the note of worry wrapped his arms around Talia's wraist and pulled her closer much to her happiness.

"Hard to say at this point" Brainiac admitted "But we should know in the next day or two as she awakens" he concluded. Talia hoped Nyssa had not lost to much of her memory, she wondered how their father would react to this news knowing it was his request they do the operation on her.

"How soon will it be until Lana is able to have visitors?" Clark asked intending to collect his parents and Chloe once he was told it was okay for Lana to have guests.

"I'd give it a day or two" Dax-Ur answered "Just to be sure, her entire body has undergone two very stressful procedures as has her mind" he reminded them "Isobel stated she will be trying to talk to Lana as she sleeps, I am certain she will upset, distraught and angry at what she was forced to do whilst under the control of Zod" he told them.

"That is to be expected" Diana replied "Lana has been through a very traumatic experience and it will take her a while to get over it" she went on "If needs be my mother has granted her permission to come to the Island whilst she recovers, somewhere we know she will not encounter any men" she told them.

"Please tell your mother we are grateful for her aide in this matter" Clark said thankfully to Diana "I think Lana will take her up on it depending on how stable she is once she awakes" he added.

The group soon broke up and went their separate ways; Clark continued his work but soon felt he needed to sleep. Finishing up his current work he got up and activated his crystal and vanished to first tell his parents the news about Lana and then to get a good nights sleep.

(Luthorcorp)

Lionel sat his desk going through the many files Lex had on the projects he had started since he had become owner of the company, these included the more insane projects since he had been affected by Brainiac. He shook his head amazed at the madness shown even in the earlier projects, it made him wonder just had deep rooted the evil within had been. Had Lex ever had a chance to been a good person? He asked himself. Leaning back in his chair he wondered what could have been had he been a better father, had he been a better man.

(Fortress of Solitude, two days later)

Lana Lang woke up feeling as if her entire body was on fire and had been trampled by a dozen people, she blinked as her vision blurred for a minute before it finally cleared up. In front of her were the Kent's including Clark, Chloe, Lois, Kara, Diana and Raya.

"How do you feel Lana?" Dax-Ur as he continued to run scans over the body to ensure everything was okay.

"I feel like hell, my body aches" Lana answered after Chloe had handed her a glass of water which she took a large gulp from "It also feels as if I have not seen any of you in days" she admitted.

"You haven't Lana, I thought Isobel was going to talk to you about what happened whilst you were asleep" Clark told her as he took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze which she returned.

The mention of Isobel instantly brought Lana's memories back of everything her ancestor had said to her in her dreams, she had fought the idea that she had been captured and brainwashed bitterly until Isobel had swore on her husband's grave. Tears began to leak out of her eyes as she tried to keep her composure, she had been raped by Lex and Zod no matter that by that point Lex had been possessed by Zod. It had been Lex's desire for her that had led to her been kidnapped, she finally couldn't stop it and she burst into tears. Martha quickly pulled her into a hug and held her; she ran her hands through the young girl's hair just relieved to have the real Lana back.

"The scans show the process we used to undo the brainwashing has indeed reversed the affects" Dax-Ur told them all as he read the scan results one more time "All she needs now is rest and time to recover, however healing the trauma caused by the events in question will take longer" he added.

"Can" Lana tried to ask before she broke of as fresh tears erupted. A few minutes later she recovered "Can you repress the memories?" she asked.

"I could but that would be a very bad idea" Dax-Ur told her in response "Repressing the memories will only cause more damage in the future as they will eventually break through whatever barriers I put up around them, you need to deal with them now" he advised seriously.

Lana nodded her head in understanding but she knew it would be a long time before she could ever fully get over what had been done to her, she looked to Clark and noted his concerned gaze resting on her and she wished to be able to return it but she looked away and leaned back in her bed.

(Themyscira Island of the Amazons, three days later)

Lana stood between Diana and Donna as she said her farewell to Clark, as he prepared to head into deep space to find Kandor and bring it back to the sol system. He would be accompanied by Brainiac, Kara, Raya, and a copy of Jor-El's AI, it would not be an easy trip but she was secure in the fact they would make it.

The last three days had not been easy for her as she kept having vivid nightmares of what Zod in Lex's body had done to her, Clark had tried to comfort her but she had quickly moved out of his reach. Thankfully he understood what she was going through and had gone to get Diana who had been able to help her, now three days later the nightmares still refused to leave and so she had taken up the Amazon queen's offer of coming to the Island to help in her recovery.

"I'll be back Lana, I promise" Clark said wanting to take Lana in his arms and kiss her in reassurance but he knew she was not ready for that kind of affection from him yet. He knew it was possible she might never be ready; finally he backed away and shot into the air where the others were waiting for him.

"I know Clark and I'll be waiting for you" Lana promised in reply "Isobel wanted me to assure you she will not fail you again" she told him wanting to feel Clark's arms around her but was too unsure how she would feel if it actually happened right now.

"Isobel did not fail me Lana I've already told her that" Clark responded with a shake of his head knowing the spirit felt guilt and remorse for Lana's capture "She was in a battle and lost track of her position, she was then ganged up on and taken down. It could have happened to anyone of us" he assured her "Isobel did what she could, no one blames her" he stated.

"I'll tell her when I see her next" Lana said hoping it would help cheer up her ancestor who still resided in her body.

"It is time Kal-El?" Brainiac shouted from above "We need to leave" he added to which Clark nodded his head.

"Do not worry Kal-El, the Island is well defended and no one from your world knows where it is" Diana assured him as she stepped forward before she and Clark engaged in a heated kiss.

"Just be careful Diana, I don't want to lose anyone" Clark told her in response to which she just smiled and kissed him again before she stepped back and watched as he began to float into the air.

"I'll see you soon" Lana said before he shot into the air to join Raya, Kara and Brainiac who then all vanished into the sky.

"He'll be back Lana" Diana assured her as she pulled Lana into a hug as she noted the other girl was beginning to grow uneasy.

"I know, he always comes back to me" Lana replied with a small smile echoing what she had told the Kent's near the beginning of all this.

(Saturn, two weeks later)

Clark was quite tired as he finished helping to move Kandor into orbit of Saturn close to its moon Titan, it had been a very long trip for all of them but it had been worth it. Of course convincing the population of Kandor of their identities took some time even with Jor-El's AI helping them, but in the end they had succeeded. They'd had to reconstruct the House of El as a member of the council which now ruled Kandor; Clark was now the head of the house as Jor-El had insisted he take it. Kara was his proxy and would fill in for him when he was busy, he had ensured should anything happen to him that Kara would replace him as the head of the House of El. To ensure the house's position he had married Raya in a traditional Krytonian wedding ceremony, it had been presided over by Jor-El. He hoped Lana and Diana would understand why he married Raya without consulting them first, he especially hoped Lana would understand.

Moving the city into the sol system had not been easy but given the nature of the advance state of Krytonian technology, they had managed to move the city through an enlarged transport beam from its position to the sol system. From there thanks to the yellow suns rays empowering them, a large group of Krytonians had used their super strength to move the city into orbit of Saturn. Clark had decided with the council not to tell the governments of earth about Kandor, at least not until they had new defensives up to protect their last refuge.

Clark turned and headed for earth longing to see Diana and Lana as well as his parents, Chloe, Lois and the rest of his friends in the League. Raya quickly joined his side, Kara and Brainiac remained on Kandor helping their fellow Krytonians plan the terraforming of Titan.

(Themyscira Island of the Amazons)

Lana sat at the base of a cliff looking longingly into the sky wishing Clark would return, it had been two and a half weeks since he had left on his journey and the more he was absent the more she missed him. The two and a half weeks had been hard ones, but she was finally beginning to regain more and more of her old personality. The aide of Diana and her fellow Amazons as well as the Kent's Isobel, and Chloe had helped her face much of what had happened; during the time she had spent brainwashed. She heard Diana come up behind her as she often did; she glanced at her friend and fellow lover of Clark noting she too had a longing look on her face.

"I just received a communication from Jor-El, his deep space monitors had detected movement near Saturn" Diana informed her "We believe Kal-El and the others had returned and were successful in their mission" she added with a wide relieved smile which was quickly returned by Lana.

Lana felt great relief at the news and prayed it was the truth; she wanted Clark back more than ever. After everything they had been through she wanted to make sure their relationship this time was permanent, even if it included sharing him with Kara and Raya. Suddenly Clark landed in front of them so fast they felt the ground shake a little as he landed, Raya quickly followed.

"Clark" Lana shouted as she rushed forward and surprised him by pulling him into a deep passionate kiss before hugging him. A few seconds later as she pulled away Diana repeated her actions.

"Welcome home" Diana said as she stepped back pleased Kal-El had finally returned.

"Thanks, I've missed you both" Clark responded relieved to see Lana looked and sounded so much better as well as felt okay touching him again.

"So what happened out there?" Lana inquired taking his hand in hers.

Clark sat them all down and began to explain everything that had happened on their journey as well as what had happened on Kandor itself, when he reached the point of marrying Raya both Lana and Diana interrupted with hugs and congratulations much to his surprise. Diana asked Clark to think about asking her mother for Diana's hand in marriage, as soon as possible to which Clark agreed. Lana of course knew they could not get married as quickly as he could to Diana and Raya due to their age, but he promised to get her an engagement ring soon which made her extremely happy.

(The Watchtower, the Future)

Kal-El stood in the large meeting room of the tower staring out into the vastness of space, so much had happened after he had come back from bringing Kandor to Saturn's orbit. He still went by Clark Kent when he was on earth in his persona of the owner of Luthorcorp but the majority of the time he now went by his true name, as a way of showing respect to Lionel he had kept the company's name as it was. Lionel had died five years ago from natural causes, having seen his dream of redeeming his family name fulfilled.

His parents Martha and Jonathan had also passed on which may have pushed him to let go of much of his human persona, then again it could be his full exposure to his real culture and history. He lived on Kandor for half the year and the other on earth, Raya soon joined him telling him their children were once again running wild. Lana was on earth at this moment in time with his children with her, her clothing business was very successful and took much of her time but she refused to let anyone else look after their children. Diana was on duty and in the middle of a crisis with Nightwing, Huntress and Brainiac. Their daughters were on the Island of the Amazons visiting their grandmother, he had a big family now much to his joy. He wondered what the future held for all of them; he clasped Raya's hand and continued to stare into space.

The League continued to exist as a force for good with many new members having joined over the years including Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Bruce was now retired and living happily with Talia and their children. Nyssa lived with them to with her own husband and son, the memory loss she had suffered had not been as sever as was feared. Ra had passed away a two years ago just before Jonathan Kent, happy to see his daughters both married and with kids. Chloe had married Bart forever changing her future; their three kids had all inherited Bart's speed much to Chloe's frustration as keeping track of them was no easy. Lois had settled down with Oliver but they had no kids, at least not yet.

The others in the League had either retired or still on active duty, some were married and others were not. He nodded as he passed J'onn in the hallway who nodded back; the Martian was a changed being after finding out he was not the last of is kind. However to save his fellow Martians he had to rage war against the white Martians, the very creatures who had helped destroy his race. The League and the Green Lantern Corps had helped him, and in the end the Green Martians were freed and the white Martians were driven away even deeper into the unknown. J'onn was now married again with kids; Mars with New Krypton's help was beginning to recover from the war that had destroyed it.

It had taken a lot of time for the human race to get used to the fact that not one but two other races shared their solar system; there had been times when it seemed the panic and fear would erupt into outright war but it had never reached that point. The aide and advancements mankind of received had helped them improve their lives, many of the most serious illness's had been cured and most humans now lived far longer lives than they had before. All three races now lived in peace and had regular contact, the Sol system was now the most protected in the 28 known galaxies. Kal-El smiled as he thought of how far they had come since the moment the memories of a war torn future had downloaded into his mind, he would not have changed things at all.

The End:


	4. chapter 4

(Metropolis)

Bruce growled as Joker charged him but he quickly dropped to the ground and swept his legs out catching the deranged clown in the knees bringing him down to the ground and tried to follow up with an elbow to his back but Bane quickly regained his feet and they clashed fists flying as Helena, Dick, Selina, Donna, Atom and Arthur faced off against the meteor freaks they had with them. He noted the Bane was just watching events as the fight started and he felt whatever the evil clown planned was bad news for them.   
Across town Oliver was currently fighting Toyman whilst Kyle faced off against Sinestro in an impressive flying display their power rings creating many weapons to take down the other but whilst Kyle was trying to make sure nothing happens to any civilians in the area as well Sinestro had no such morals and was creating weapons that caused excess damage to the surrounding area. Around them Raya, Jade, J’onn, Todd, Bart and Zatanna battled the meteor freaks they had brought with them, cops were arriving as the fight waged on but were no match for what was going on. 

Kelly Benson stood on a small walkway watching the battle unfold with her cameraman unable to believe what she was seeing once again, the damage been done was far more than before and the fighting between the League as Batman had called them and the villains was far more vicious she noted before beginning her report 

“This is Kelly Benson and once more Metropolis is at the mercy of a war been rage between a large group of villains and the League of Hero’s who combined to stop them, I am told there is two fights taking place right now the one I am watching the Green Arrow lead and across town Batman leads the second whilst in Smallville it has been reported the beast has returned and is once again opposed by the same hero who fought it before this time with help from his allies” Kelly began taking a deep breath as Green Arrow was sent flying into a wall   
“All three fights are completely out of control from what I have heard and seen here but local law enforcement are trying to limit the damage and casualties but it is not an easy thing as there is falling debris everywhere and they are targets for the insane followers of the villains” she finished as the and Cameraman decided to get out of the way before they ended up caught in the crossfire. 

Bruce exchanged blows with Joker making them as hard as he could trying to end the man who could one day be Talia’s killer as he had in the future time line, just the memory of what he had learnt of what Joker would one day take from him was enough to drive him into a fury. Bane had finally attacked heading straight for Arthur who met the charge head on just after he took down the meteor freak he had been fighting, he was thrown backwards but quickly regained his balance and struck back knocking the deranged assassin off his feet where he pretended to be out cold only to quickly strike out with his feet when Aquaman turned to help one his allies.   
Dick growled as he fought as hard as he could against the meteor freak that could blow things up just by touching them meaning he had to stay out of its reach whilst figuring a way of bringing it down, the insane look on its face sent a chill down his spine. Off to the side he could see Selina was easily using her agility to stay a step ahead of the freak she was fighting and he could see why Bruce had sought her out, Helena was to his other side but was having a bit more trouble with the meteor freak she was fighting. He was suddenly sent flying as the car in front of him exploded and he coughed as he got back to his feet cursing himself for letting his attention wonder. 

 

(Smallville)

Zod stared at the Avatar of the man who had stopped him ruling Krypton and imprisoned him in the zone along with his wife and he felt all the old hatred and anger return, a small part of him was amused at the irony of the fact the he had taken the son of the man who was Jor-El’s Avatar as his host but he quickly pushed that aside. 

“You want to die again Jor-El I will be happy to oblige your wishes” he hissed. 

“Dying for your loved ones and one’s home is never futile Zod something you forgot a long time ago when you became the ultimate enemy of Krypton instead of its greatest defender” Jor-El shot back. “You had everything but it was not enough and so you tried to get more and it only ended in destruction not just for you but our people and you still have not learned anything from it because here you are trying to do the same thing again” he continued. 

“Do not lecture me Jor-El” Zod growled he had always hated listening to the man’s views. “I am the greatest general in our planets history I deserved to be our peoples leader after all the battles I fought for them but they were two afraid to give me my due so I took it” he pressed .

“And all it got you was exile to the phantom zone along with your followers and your own wife Zod; it also sent our race into extinction with very few survivors” Jor-El lied at the end as he did not want Zod to know a small part of their race had survived. 

“They were weak as are you and your whole family but not for long I will kill each and every one of you” Zod said with a wide smirk. “I will then recreate our race in my image and under my rule” he shouted an insane look in his eyes which chilled Jor-El to the bone as he had seen it many times back during the war “Now die Jor-El” Zod commanded as his heat vision activated. 

Jor-El was ready for the attack and quickly side stepped it before using his super speed to smash into Zod and force him backwards, behind them Doomsday clubbed Clark into the sports shop as Kara hit it from behind with her heat visions whilst Diana picked up a car and tossed it into the side of the monster only causing the car to explode harmlessly off the creature’s thick skin.  
Clark groaned as he pushed himself back to his feet and shook his head before moving forward as Kara was almost grabbed by Doomsday and Diana was sent flying into a truck, he flew at full speed catching Doomsday as he turned back to him and flung him into the building behind him. He shook his head knowing they had to get Doomsday away from the town before he did any more damage. 

“Kara, Diana help me get him outside Smallville” he shouted as he again flew at Doomsday as he got back up and grabbed him around the waist whilst Kara and Diana grabbed his arms and together they flew upwards away from the town.

Jor-El wished he still had his living body as Lionel’s could only take so much stress even with the necessary upgrades he’d given it, he would not be able to fight Zod for long but he did not need to just keep him away from Kal-El, Kara and Diana whilst they fought Doomsday. He had to keep that in mind because if he allowed his personal feelings towards Zod get in the way he may doom Lionel and this planet to death and he would not allow a second world to fall because of Zod’s ambitions. 

(Fortress of Solitude)

Talia and her father arrived to find the fortress deserted bar Dax-Ur who was working at his work station on his chip to reprogram Brainiac, Talia frowned. 

“Where is everyone Dax-Ur?” she inquired. 

“I’m afraid there was another attack by Zod and his allies two in Metropolis and one is Smallville” Dax-Ur answered looking up. “However Jor-El and Kal-El both believed this is a test for us but even if it is it may allow us to track them back to their base so we can finally take the fight to them” he explained. “My chip to reprogram Brainiac is almost complete so if we can get it into his data port we will have a very powerful new ally and maybe then he can fulfil the reason he was created in the first place” he continued. 

“I see” Talia said with a shake of her head before cursing. 

“Is there a problem Talia?” Dax-Ur asked as he took a greater look at the two. 

“Nyssa has revealed herself alongside Deathstroke and Riddler who escaped the last fight” Ra was the one who answered. “We hoped for the detectives help in capturing them all whilst we had the chance” he added as he sat down whilst Talia began to pace.

“I understand your desire to bring your wayward daughter in Ra but do you believe you can reason with her?” Dax-Ur inquired. “And Batman’s reaction to her may not be what you wish, I believe he is as compromised by what the future could bring as Kal-El has been” he informed them. 

“You make a very valid point Dax-Ur, since learning what accrued in the future from Kal-El he has become driven to remove both Joker and Nyssa anyway possible however I had hoped he may have calmed down since then” Ra responded. 

“We can try and capture her on our own father” Talia suggested turning to face her father. 

“I do not believe that would be wise Talia, you forget been lured away from Batman was what caused your death in the future Kal-El has foreseen” Dax-Ur pointed out making sure he got his point across to them both as he did not want to be the one to inform Batman he had allowed the woman he loved to walk into what was quite clearly trap. “This is a trap for you I believe, Nyssa is hoping you will go after her without back up I believe it would be foolish to give her what she wants especially if it leaves you in the same brainwashed state we can expect Lana Lang to be in” he informed them. 

Both Ra and Talia looked at each other before conceding the points he had made they could not rush into this and would have to wait until Batman and the others returned, Ra remained where he was deep in thought on how to break through to his daughter Nyssa without causing him too much harm whilst Talia went and lay down.   
Dax-Ur watched them for a few seconds before turning and going back to work on his chip for Brainiac, he was so close now to finishing it and maybe putting Brainiac back to his true purpose and undo the damage he had done when Zod had taken control of the A.I. 

 

(Outside Smallville)

Kara lay on the ground groaning as she tried to shake the dizziness she was feeling from been hit so hard by Doomsday, Kal-El had warned her just how dangerous the monster was but she had not truly believed it but now she knew she would have to be much more careful in her attacks otherwise she may just end up dead. She pushed herself to her feet and noted Diana and Kal-El were each attacking Doomsday from the sides as Zod and Jor-El fought behind them, Jor-El had followed them outside the town and Zod had followed intending on destroying him.   
She concentrated as she readied herself for the fight before flying at Doomsday who was still distracted fighting Kal-El and Diana and caught it in the face with a roundhouse sending it backwards allowing all three of them to charge it to the ground and begin pounding it with everything they had only to be flung off it a few minutes later however they noted they had managed to make Doomsday bleed.  
Clark knew they could not beat Doomsday so they would have to put him back on ice or get him off the planet, like a bolt of lightning he had an idea and whilst it was not full proof it was all he had at the moment to get rid of Doomsday as fast as possible thus eliminating the most dangerous of Zod’s allies. 

“Kara, Diana we have to take Doomsday into space and launch him into the sun” he whispered so only they could hear him. “We have to get him off planet and once in the sun he will be no danger for a long while” he added.

“Will the sun be able to trap him though Kal?” Diana asked. 

“Yes it will the gravity of the Sun will hold even him maybe not forever but long enough to give us time to deal with Zod and the others and be more prepared for his return” Clark answered. 

“Then we charge him together and lift off as hard as we can, Diana will have to let go once we reach the upper atmosphere as she can’t survive in space” Kara agreed as she noted Doomsday preparing to charge them again.

“We go now” Clark ordered. 

All three of them shot off and collided with Doomsday just as he began to charge them, they struggled with the monster as he tried to fight them off but they held on and then pushed off from the ground with all the force they could muster and headed into the sky.  
Jor-El sent Zod to the ground with a wicked round house then noted what his son, niece and ally were doing, he wondered why they were going into space before it quickly came to him and he smiled before been caught in the chest by Zod’s foot and he quickly turned back to the fight at hand and lashed out at his enemy sending Zod back. 

“Not bad Jor-El” Zod said with a smirk as he rubbed his jaw “For a weak scientist you always did know how to fight to the last, you led the war against me no matter what the council tried to make people believe and it was you who brought me down just imagine what we could have accomplished together had you not apposed me” he stated. 

“Nothing but bloodshed Zod, I will never be like me and no matter what it takes I will send you back to the zone” Jor-El growled out feeling ill at the idea of him ever teaming with Zod. “And even if you escape there will be a member of my house ready to oppose you, this I vow” he added as he took the air joined a second later by Zod. 

“Then my destruction of the house of El is all the more important isn’t it” Zod said smiling as he had known there was no way Jor-El would ever join him but wanted to annoy just by suggesting it “Now Jor-El prepare to die” he suddenly shouted his voice devoid of humour as he flew right at his mortal enemy. 

 

(Metropolis) 

Bruce struggled against the meteor freak who had suddenly attacked him whilst the Joker watched from a nearby building laughing his head off, he reached into his belt and pulled one of his gas pellets out and forced it into the man’s mouth and set it off and watched as the freak began coughing violently before collapsing to the ground out cold. 

“You are no fun bats” Joker said as he walked closer. “Where is your sense of fair play?” he inquired. 

“I don’t have one because most of the scum I fight don’t have one either and that especially includes you Joker” Bruce growled out as he prepared to continue their fight. 

Joker laughed wishing he had more time to taunt Batman but he did not, this fight was only a test and nearly all the meteor freaks had been taken down already by the other hero’s so he grabbed his the bomb from his belt and chucked it not at Batman but at where his closest allies Nightwing, Huntress and Catwoman were fighting before running away.   
Bruce was torn for a few seconds as he watched the man who could still become the murderer of Talia before shaking his head and heading for the bomb, his friends were distracted by their fight with two very strong meteor freaks and would never see the bomb in time. He readied one of bat cables and hooked the bomb up with it and sent it flying high into the sky where it exploded. He breathed a sigh of relief before charging into the fight.   
Bane and Arthur continued to exchange fists but were equally matched in terms of strength and skill, Bane grew tired of the fight wishing instead he had been allowed to fight Batman but Joker had attacked first and gained that right. He lashed out with a side kick and followed up with a palm strike which sent Aquaman to his knees before turning and leaving knowing the next time they fought it would be to the death and that was something he was looking forward to especially against Batman, Arthur spat out blood from the blow and shook his head before getting back to his feet and going to help Atom and Donna.

Across the city Oliver and his team were round up the last of the meteor freaks as Sinestro was now a captive having been taken down by the combined powers of Kyle and Jade whilst Toyman had managed to escape, it was a small victory but a victory all the same and for Kyle and Jade a personal one as Sinestro had once been a Green Lantern and an ally who had turned on them and the rest of the corps.  
They pushed the final three meteor freaks back against a rather large building and then they concentrated their power against them bringing them down one at a time, they were all feeling drained but they decided to head to the second battle to help Batman and his team whilst Kyle and Jade took Sinestro back to the fortress so they could begin their plan of sending the worst villains into the phantom zone. 

Oliver looked around and noted the destruction that had been caused to the city and sighed knowing the people and the government were not going to be happy about this but they would have done no better against the villains and more violence and destruction would have been the result if they tried to fight without them. They watched as the last of the meteor freaks was destroyed by Donna and Raya. 

“Is this the last of them?” Bart asked. 

“Yeah, we better go and help Kal-El and the others” Bruce answered ignoring his strained muscles. 

 

(Space)

Kal-El and Kara held onto Doomsday as hard as they could as he continued to struggle against them in their flight to the sun, they were close to the sun now and were feeling stronger and stronger as they did until finally they reached a good point and launched the monster as hard as they could and watched in satisfaction as Doomsday hurtled into the sun before turning and heading back to earth

(Outside Smallville) 

Jor-El was beginning to feel tired and he knew his avatar could not handle much more damage and so prepared to leave; Zod was just preparing to attack again when the rest of the league minus Kyle and jade arrived along with Diana and finally Kal-El and Kara. 

“Interesting this group of hero’s who have collected Kal-El but it will do you no good in the end” Zod said after a few seconds pause “You may have beaten back my troops but in the end you and every who follows you will fall at my feet and this planet will become the new Krypton” he stated with a wide smile before leaving. 

“How did we do?” Clark inquired as he looked around noting the missing members of their team “Are Kyle and Jade alright?” he asked. 

“They are okay they took Sinestro prisoner and returned to the fortress ready for him to be banished to the zone” Donna replied with a small smile. 

“Then let’s get to it” Oliver said. “Plus we all need some rest before we hopefully attack their main base” he added. 

The group looked around before activating their beacons and vanished from the area hoping that they would soon end this war and ensure the future Kal-El had seen in his future memories would never come to pass.

(Fortress of Solitude)

Talia, Ra. Dax-Ur, Kyle and Jade looked up as the rest of the league returned looking a bit tired but more positive than they had for a while especially Clark and Bruce. 

“How did things go?” Dax-Ur inquired as Talia greeted Bruce with a deep loving kiss.

“We managed to imprison Doomsday in the sun which should at least hold him for a while” Clark responded as everyone sat down. “It was an idea that just accrued to me during the fight but it should contain him until we have dealt with Zod and the majority of his allies” he added. 

“Speaking of which Clark we should send Sinestro into the zone like we agreed to” Kyle spoke up indicting the man held between himself and Jade.

“You are fools to think you can beat all of us” Sinestro sneered at them. “I will be free soon enough and I hope in time to see your deaths as I witnessed the death of the corpse” he added hoping to anger the two green lanterns. 

“Nice try Sinestro but where you are going will more than make up for your betrayal of the corpse and the lanterns you killed” Jade hissed glaring at the man. “You won’t have the power of your ring as we have already taken it from you and we have searched you for any spares so you will be at the mercy of the zoners you meet” she continued. “That is Justice enough for us” she finished. 

“I agree” Kyle said with a nod. “And the Corpse is rebuilding itself as it always does so in the end either way you lose” he stated as Jor-El began the process of opening the portal.

“You are still fools to believe you can defeat Brainiac and his lord Zod” Sinestro boasted as he was pulled to the now swirling portal. “I will have my revenge” he shouted one last time before he was pushed into the portal and vanished. 

Everyone watched as the portal was closed and they all realised they were now committed to their of sending their enemies to the zone, they would have to face the governments of the world soon and explain their reasoning for this but for now they had other problems to deal with so they turned and sat at the main table to discuss their next move. 

“I am pleased to say my chip to reprogram Brainiac is now complete and will completely erase whatever it was that Zod did to him in the first place” Dax-Ur began. “This means when we attack their base we must capture Brainiac as quickly as we can” he added.

“Did we manage to track them back to their base Jor-El?” Kara asked. 

“We did, our improvements to the sensors worked and we now have the location of their new base” Jor-El replied. “I am already gathering Intel and floor plans for their chosen location and we should be ready to go in two hours” he explained. 

“Before that I think we should discuss something else that has come up” Ra interrupted before anyone else could say anything “It may give us a chance to remove three more of Zod’s allies” he added.

“What has accrued Ra?” Lionel asked trying to ignore the strain his body was currently feeling from the battle between Jor-El and Zod. 

“Nyssa has come out of hiding and has taken up residence in a factory on the outskirts of Metropolis along with Deathstroke and Riddler in what is clearly a trap for me and Talia” Ra informed them noticing the dark frown that came to Bruce’s face at the mention of the woman who lured Talia to her death in the future Kal-El was trying to stop happening. “We need help to subdue them and bring Nyssa in” he continued. 

“You believe you may be able to change Nyssa’s chosen path?” Clark asked unsure how to feel about this. “She is committed to killing both you and Talia Ra she holds nothing but hatred for you both” he added. 

“We understand this Kal-El truly we do” Ra responded. “But understand She is my daughter and Talia’s sister” he added. 

“But what hope can you have of changing that which is ingrained in her heart and mind?” Bruce finally spoke up having bottled the anger and fear he felt of Talia’s fate coming true. 

“We were hoping maybe Jor-El and Dax-Ur could come up with some way to remove the hatred and lust for our deaths from her” Ra answered. “If you can brainwash people into becoming someone completely different then surely you must be able to just alter someone” he questioned. 

“It is possible we may be able to come up with some way of doing as you ask but it will not be an easy task and will have to be taken care of after we have dealt with Zod and his allies I’m afraid Ra” Dax-Ur answered after thinking it over for a few minutes. 

“All we ask is that we try if it fails then I will agree to send her to the zone along with the others to remove the danger she represents to Talia and any children she may one day have” Ra stated and everyone could see the turmoil he felt at saying this even Bruce. 

“Then our next move is to capture Nyssa and her friends and we can expect more meteor freaks” Oliver said “Maybe also more of their normal allies” he added a second later. 

“I agree” Clark put in “J’onn your shape shifting abilities will come in handy here” he added.

“How so Kal-El?” J'onn inquired wondering what plans he had up his sleeve.

“You will take on the appearance of Talia and accompany Ra to the factory making sure they spring their trap, we’ll follow close behind so we can spring our own ambush on them catching them by surprise” he explained. 

“I will have to bring some of my own security forces to make it look real, Nyssa knows I would not blindly walk into a place I do not know alone” Ra put in as he through the plan over. 

“Understood, Oliver, Bruce, Bart, Kara, Diana, Raya, Selina and Todd will form the ambush force the rest of you should rest especially you Lionel your body has been through a lot during the fight with Zod it needs to recharge” Clark responded. 

“I can’t argue with that Clark” Lionel said with a wary smile. “I think I will turn in now” he added before getting up and heading for one of the beds they had moved to the fortress.

“Are you sure you have taken enough people for this Clark?” Bart inquired. 

“Yeah I think so, if not we can always call in backup Bart” Clark reminded his friend. “Before we hit Zod’s main base we’re going to need all the rest we can get because once we get in there is only two ways it ends either we win or we all die and the world falls to Zod and I have no intention to letting that happen as long as I have strength in my body and the best way to ensure that is to not rush into things” he added with a small smirk. 

“Point taken man” Bart responded with a chuckle knowing he had a tendency to rush into things which got him into more trouble that he knew how to deal with most times. 

They watched as J'onn took a good look at Talia before he morphed his form to match hers including his own clothes to match her blouse and jeans, Bruce and most of the others looked stunned to suddenly find themselves with two Talia’s and even Ra looked somewhat surprised at this. 

“Wow now that is cool” Talia said with a smile which J'onn then mirrored. “How are you able to do that?” she asked the Martian. 

“The ability is native to my species but it takes time to master so that you can change not just your form but your clothes and mirror a person down to their voice and actions such as facial expressions and the like” J'onn explained in Talia’s voice. “I have lived long enough to master all aspects of it so any transformations is relatively easy” he added. 

“This tracker will ensure we keep track of you and be careful just in case their true plan to grab you and take you back to be brainwashed like Lana was” Clark told him as he handed over a small beacon. 

“We will as I have no intention of having my mind messed with detective” Ra said seriously. 

“Then I believe it is time to get this show on the road” Oliver said as he and the rest of team prepared themselves to move out. 

“We shall first head to my mansion to recruit some of my security forces and then head to the factory” Ra explained. “I suggest you follow after five minutes” he added before he and J'onn vanished. 

Bruce closed his eyes and took a deep breathe knowing he would need all of his control for this, he had promised to at least give Ra a chance to recover his first born daughter and he did not want to cause any problems now that he and Talia were getting so close, he paused as he considered what his future may be like if he succeeded in defeating Zod and the rest of his allies and went on to marry Talia.   
It was a nice vision but he wondered if he could truly give up his role as Batman, he was as much the dark knight as he was Bruce Wayne and sometimes he did know if there was any real difference but he guessed he would find out as time passed and they continued to bond. He truly hoped he had it in him to live a normal happy life like he once had before his parents were murdered and that their deaths had not robbed him of that ability. 

 

(Abandoned Factory)

J'onn, Ra and an eight man security team appeared in the factory a few minutes later, Ra looked around wondering where his daughter would appear from whilst J'onn was instantly on alert knowing an attack could come at any minute.  
They suddenly heard movement from above and looked up as Nyssa, Deathstroke and Riddler appeared on platform just in front of them and whilst the two villains looked somewhat bored Nyssa had a rather cocky grin on her face as she looked down at them.

“History repeats itself” Nyssa said “Brainiac told me how I helped lead you to you death in the future almost destroying Batman’s desire to live and I fully intend to ensure that happens once more in fact I will take great pleasure in killing you sister and then you father” she added.

“You have become even more corrupt and deranged since last we met child” Ra said with a shake of his head even as he tried to gore the fact a part of this was his fault he should have been a better father. “Do you believe we will just stand here whilst you kill us?” he inquired as the security team prepared for a fight and took positions around them. 

“No but it will make no difference as none of your team is capable of defeating my allies and their friends” Nyssa replied as seven meteor freaks appeared. 

“Then you are even more deluded to think they would come here alone without backup witch” Batman said as he appeared from above them from another platform as the rest of the team appeared among Ra and J'onn “You truly must have flipped to think we would not learn from what we know would happen in the future” he added. 

He then quickly activated his batarang and flew across the factory and straight into Deathstroke as the others engaged the meteor freaks, Riddler jumped down to join the fray and was confronted by Green Arrow. J'onn quickly jumped up onto the platform to face Nyssa who pulled a knife and tried to stab him but he quickly caught her wrist whilst he transformed back to his normal look enraging Nyssa as she realized she had indeed been tricked.  
Ra soon made it to the top of the platform and came up behind his daughter as she struggled to get free from J'onn, he reached into his pocket and pulled the device Dax-Ur had given him and placed it on his daughter’s temple before she noticed his presence and it quickly activated and put her into a deep sleep.

“Thank you I will take her back as we planned” Ra said as he gathered Nyssa up and then activated his beacon and vanished along with Nyssa. 

Once Ra and Nyssa were away J'onn quickly turned to help Batman who was struggling with Deathstroke who also seemed to have undergone the process to make himself stronger.  
Below Raya and Kara teamed up and used their heat vision to burn right through a meteor freak who seemed immune to brute strength, the man screamed before collapsing with a bloody hole in his stomach, just behind them Diana used her speed and strength to subdue her own enemy but as she turned to leave the thing grabbed her by the foot and threw her into the wall stunned she quickly jumped back to her feet to find the thing advancing once more so she quickly engaged it again and began hitting it again and again before it suddenly howled in agony then fell dead allowing her to notice Raya standing behind where it had stood and her heat vision just fading. 

“Thanks” Diana said before going to help Bart who was trying to make the meteor freak he was fight dizzy. 

Raya turned to see Kal-El pick up the meteor freak he was righting and fly into upwards before then changing direction and plowing the freak into the floor causing a shockwave to pass right through the entire floor and a creator to appear, everyone was knocked off their feet especially the left over security guards who only numbered five now but a few seconds later everyone gained their feet and the fight continued.   
Oliver growled as Riddler managed to hit him in the side with a pipe he had picked up but he quickly came back with a right hook followed by a knee to his gut forcing Riddler to double over in pain allowing him to drive his elbow into the back on the man’s head sending him to the floor with a thud, he bent down to check the man’s pulse noting it was still strong but Riddler was out cold so he grabbed him and prepared to transport him to the fortress when a shadow appeared above and he quickly turned to find a rather large meteor freak’s fists about to come down on him only for Raya and Diana to catch them. 

“Go, we’ve got this” Raya said as she and Diana pushed the freak back. 

“Thanks for the save” Oliver said before grabbing Riddler and then activating is beacon and transporting back to the fortress. 

Raya was straining to keep the freak in place as was Diana as it was clear this one had not only increased strength but also the added power from whatever process Luthor had used to strengthen them, Just as they felt themselves about to give way Kal-El appeared between them and launched a huge upper cut which sent the freak flying into and then through the wall of the factory and it did not get back up.  
They looked around and noted Selina, Todd and Bart had managed to finally beat the last meteor freak in the factory and the security team had finally pulled out after losing another two of their people.   
Above them Bruce and J'onn continued to fight Deathstroke who was using his swords to try and kill them, the thing about Deathstroke was he had a regenerative healing factor that allowed him to fight longer and harder than most villains they faced, Bruce finally decided to take a chance and charged him knocking them both to the floor below whilst J'onn quickly followed. Deathstroke quickly jumped back to his feet and noted he was not surrounded but instead of running he attacked Bruce again who had just regained his feet this time with his fists, they began to exchange blows as well as martial art kicks whilst the rest of the league formed a circle around them knowing this was Bruce’s fight.   
Bruce ducked the swing from Deathstroke and tried to land a sweep kick but that was dodged and he was caught in the chest by a back kick but he quickly recovered and nailed him with a palm strike which stunned Deathstroke allowing him to kick him in the gut knocking him down and then kicked him in the head as he went to get back up with enough force to drive his head right into the concreate and knocking him cold.

“You ok Bruce?” Bart asked as he and Todd picked up the unconscious Deathstroke ready to take him back to the fortress. 

“Yeah, he managed to land some good blows but I’m okay” Bruce responded knowing he would end up with more scars and bruises to add to his collection. 

“Let’s get back” Clark spoke up 

 

(Secret Base)

Zod looked up from where he was currently busy with planning his next move with Brainiac to see Nam-El and Aethyr enter with frowns on their faces and he knew they brought bad news. 

“What is it?” he commanded. 

“Nyssa, Deathstroke and Riddler failed to return from their ambush so we sent Toyman to check out the factory” Nam-Ek began. 

“And?” Zod asked already suspecting the answer. 

“They failed my lord all he found was the dead bodies of the meteor freaks they took with them” Aethyr was the one who answered. 

“So they got themselves captured” Zod growled. “Truly these humans are weak and stupid I do not understand how they have survived for so long as a species” he continued with a shake of his head. “Prepare for an attack on this base, they’ll be coming soon” he commanded and watched as the two left before turning to Brainiac “Once we repel this attack I want you to plan an attack on the white house” he ordered before heading for the door.

“Or course General” Brainiac replied. “Where will you be?” he inquired. 

“I need to relieve some stress so I think I will visit my slave” Zod responded with a smirk as he headed for his room where Lana was waiting for him. 

 

(Fortress of Solitude)

Everyone was as Deathstroke and Ridder were sent into phantom zone without any waiting, they each knew this was only the start of deal with the rest of Zod’s human allies but it was at least a good start. 

“So what do we do now Kal?” Kara asked. 

“We’re going to rest and then we will plan our attack on Zod’s base Kara because we are going to need it” Clark answered. 

“What have you done with Nyssa?” Bruce asked from beside Talia. 

“We have put her into stasis for now until this is all over and we can attempt to do as Ra as asked” Dax-Ur answered. “We have no time to deal with her at the moment as we need all our focus on what we are about to do” he added.

“I agree” Clark said “We’ll reconvene in a few hours to plan our attack” he added. 

The rest of the league nodded and began to head out knowing they were close to ending this war if they could beat Zod and his allies when they attacked his base, they all felt the pressure now but they hoped to be able to ignore it for a small while.

(Kent Farm)

Clark woke feeling more refreshed than he had for a day or two, he had returned to the farm to rest before they planned and assaulted Zod’s main base as the fortress was somewhat crowded. Raya and Kara had chosen to stay with Diana and Donna on the Island Themyscira and he could understand they wanted to be focused for the attack.  
He had managed to avoid seeing his parents, Chloe and Lois who were all in the house but he knew he would not be able to avoid them before he left. He would have to face his mother and try and assure her he would try and bring Lana back but a part of him wondered if it was possible after he had heard what Dax-Ur had said about messing with people’s memories and he shivered at how his mother would respond to been told that Lana was lost forever. He sighed before going for a shower and then finally making his way down stairs to find his parents waiting for him alongside Chloe and Lois who looked nervous

“I think we need to talk Clark” Martha said as soon as she saw her son come down the stairs. 

“I know what you’re going to say mom but no matter how much you wish I would just go and rescue Lana like I have before I can’t do that now and I have explained the reasons why” Clark shot back eager to stop this argument before it started. “I have not given up on her mom I will do everything I can to save her and bring her back except throw my life away or the lives of my friends and allies” he continued. “As I said before there is so much more going on here with the results been more important than one person’s life no matter who that is” he stated feeling a pain in his heart at saying that as a part of him fought against that. 

“How can you stand there and say that to me?” Martha shouted upset. “How can you talk like that after everything you have done for her and what you told us happens between you in the future?” she demanded to know. 

“Because I know the truth now a truth I tried so hard to refuse to except before that in the end there are things bigger than me bigger than Lana or even our love” Clark answered. “I told you before how long it took me before I was ready to face what I was what I could be and what I could do for the world and because I held on so much to Lana, to my past life I watched the world burn” he pressed wanting all of them to understand this. “The world burned and millions of lives came to an end and maybe just maybe if I had woken up sooner I may have been able to stop it before it started, maybe if I had not made so many mistakes in my desire to be normal and have a life with Lana those lives could have been spared their pain” he told them the anger in his voice clear to them all. 

“Clark that maybe true but that does not give you the right to condemn Lana to this fate” Martha argued ignoring the warning look Jonathan tried to send her to back off. 

“I am not condemning her mother but I will not put her before the world not anymore I can’t I was sent here to save this world, you brought me up with all the things needed for me to do the right thing and whilst it seems the wrong choice it is for the right reasons” Clark shouted back. “Sacrifices have to be made and Lana would agree with me if she was here I know it in my heart” he added.

Martha just stared at him in horror before she stormed up the stairs and into her room the door slamming behind her and Clark sighed knowing if he did not save Lana or her original personality could not be brought back he may never be able to reconcile with his mother.

“Clark are you sure this is the right choice?” Chloe asked split between two warring sides on what needed to be done as a part of her agreed with Martha and the other agreed with Clark. 

“I am sure Chloe and it kills me to admit it but I have to face it and accept it because if I don’t I may make another mistake and that could cost more people their lives” Clark answered as he sat down and rubbed the bridge of his nose. 

“I understand where you are coming from Smallville” Lois spoke up “Remember I was brought up by a general who has war in his blood I know what you are saying is most likley spot on and you have to look at the bigger picture but you have to see Mrs. Kent’s point as well before all this happened you would have gone no matter what it cost you right?” she added.

“That is just the point Lois I would have gone and maybe died thus leaving the world to Zod and his allies, how can mom ignore this very important fact?” Clark responded. 

“Because Lana has always been important to her son” Jonathan finally entered the conversation. “I can’t fault either of you and I also understand what you’ve been saying but Martha will never see it from your point of view she just is not wired that way and she always looks for the best possible outcome in everything” he continued. 

“Sadly dad there may not be a happy ending to this, we were discussing possible ways of helping the brainwashed meteor freaks before and according to Dax-Ur there may not be a way of reversing what they have done to them and Lana and even trying could wipe out their entire life” Clark informed them noting how Chloe winced at this and Jonathan sighed and rubbed his eyes as he took this in. 

“Seriously?” Lois inquired trying not to show any emotion at this news. 

“At the moment yes but we’ll keep looking dad maybe you can talk to mom for me and try and get here to calm down” Clark answered. “Chloe, Lois you’re with me” he added as he grabbed his locator and Chloe and Lois joined him. 

“Just be careful Clark take whatever risks you feel will help but don’t get careless in what you are about to do” Jonathan told him. “I’ll do what I can to make Martha see things more clearly” he added with a grin trying to ease the tension “Good luck” he said as they vanished. 

Jonathan looked around the empty kitchen and sighed knowing explaining things to Martha and making her see things from Clark’s point of view would not be easy and there would be lots of shouting but it needed to be done and so he turned and heading to their bedroom to start and was not surprised to find Martha was in the process of walking up and down the room angrily and before closing the door he prayed she would not explode at what he said.

 

(Fortress of Solitude)

Clark, Lois and Chloe looked around and noted everybody had returned to the fortress and Bruce was also accompanied by Barbara Gordon a.k.a Batgirl and he guessed he had finally managed to locate his friend and acquire her help in their final battle. Chloe quickly moved off and went straight to Bart and began to talk with him and Clark knew she was looking for some comfort as he had none to give right now and Lois was too controlled to let her emotions out to help her, he watched the two interact and wondered how the future would unwind for Chloe and Bart now they seemed to be approaching becoming a couple instead of just friends before shaking his head and heading for the main table where Lionel, Dax-Ur and Oliver stood.   
Bruce noted his appearance and soon joined them alongside Arthur, Raya, Diana and Kara whilst the rest of the League began to quiet down and take their seats to listen to whatever their plan was whilst Lois left his side and went and joined Chloe and Bart. 

“Are we ready Dax-Ur?” Clark asked as he came to a stop.

“I believe so Kal-El” Dax-Ur replied with a smile. “We are all rested and ready to fight, my chip for Brainiac is complete and we have multiple cyborgs on line to help us in the fight” he informed them. 

“Okay let’s get this done” Clark said as he turned and faced his friends and allies as the others took their seats took. “Okay we are now ready to attack Zod’s base and finish this but we will not be rushing this so listen well” he began. “Chloe, Bart, Lois and Arthur will transport to the outside of their base and hack into their security systems and shut them down causing confusion and also give us a small advantage when we first attack once that is done Chloe and Lois will return to the fortress and stay here whilst Bart and Arthur join us in the attack is that understood?” he inquired.

“Yeah Smallville” Lois was the one who replied pleased to finally be of some real help. “We got it, drop in drop their security and get out piece of cake” she added whilst Chloe nodded also pleased to be included. 

“Okay now once we get inside Kara, Raya, Dax-Ur and J’onn will track down Brainiac and bring him down so Dax-Ur can insert his chip which should reprogram him and bring him onto our side” Clark continued. “Once this goal has been achieved Kara and Raya will face off against Nam-Ek and Aethyr and remove them from the fight whilst the major part of the league will take out the remaining meteor freaks and villains they have there” he explained. “I will of course head for Zod and engage him along with Jor-El, make sure you destroy as much of the base as you can except for the device they used to brainwash the meteor freaks and Lana” he added. 

“What about Lana Clark how do we handle her?” Oliver asked. 

“I have discussed this with my father and Dax-Ur and we believe Isobel maybe our key to taking Lana out of the fight, as a split personality which can assume control whenever she wishes we believe Zod has placed some kind of control collar on her to keep Isobel locked up so break the collar and Isobel is free to take control and aid us” Clark answered. “Whoever does this makes sure it is indeed Isobel before turning their back on her” he added as a warning.

“How will we know it is Isobel?” Bart asked. 

“Ask her the reason why she was corrupted by the Teague family” Clark responded. “The answer should be because she knew about the stones of power and was trying to defend them for her lover Xan-El, Lana should not remember this in her altered brainwashed state plus when Isobel assumes control you should see her eyes flash purple” he continued. 

“And if she replies wrong?” Bart asked again. 

“Take her down as quickly as you can and then bring her back to the fortress where she can be put in suspended animation like Nyssa until we can turn our attention to trying to help her” he answered. 

“Is everyone clear on what they are too do?” Bruce asked as he stood and joined Clark and watched as everyone nodded by Talia and Ra “Ra, Talia you will remain her and prepare to receive our wounded and get them to the medical area where the medical cyborgs will deal with them. I will show you were we set it up in a minute and you will also guide us through the floor plans we have up on the screen here” he informed them pointing to the main screen where all the information they had on the base was put up. 

“We understand” Ra said glad they had something to do for this battle. 

“Okay everyone suit up and be ready to go in ten minutes” Clark ordered whilst he headed for the control station and Bruce led Ra and Talia to the medical area. 

 

(Secret Base)

Zod woke to silence and he quickly looked around noting Lana was asleep on the floor where he had left her last night, he had not touched her sexually just yet preferring to torture and break her even more than she already was in her brainwashed state. Another reason was because he wanted a true Kryptonian woman to be his partner, once he had dealt with Kal-El and his friends he would tare open the portal to the phantom zone and free those of his people there including his wife.  
He finally stood and prepared for what he expected to be a straight assault on his base, Kal-El like his father before him was a fool and tended to act rashly so he was not expecting any real complex idea behind their plan to strike. Exiting the room he headed to the control complex where Brainiac, Aethyr, Nam-Ek, Joker, Toyman and Bane his last remaining commanders for now.   
The rest of his troops were either normal villains or insane meteor freaks, what he needed was combat ready Kryptonian soldiers and he wished he had his army at his back right now. But no what he had were weak pathetic earthlings two Kryptonian soldiers and a Kryptonian A.I, so he guessed he was evenly matched against Kal-El’s forces to a point.

“Ok they will be coming and we must be ready to face them so have every meteor freak and villain we have left prepared for a war” he ordered once they had all given him their attention. “We will kill every last one of them no matter who it is, no prisoners this time remove them from this planet is that understood?” he asked in a deadly tone.

He almost smiled as they all nodded their heads but he was annoyed to see no fear from any of them, granted he did not expect it from his followers but the humans should have felt some fear considering what he could do to them. Oh well he thought he would ensure once this was over with he would install the right kind of fear into these pawns; he quickly shook his head and turned back to the problem at hand.

“Once we have destroyed them all we will head to the fortress and take it by force as I am sure Jor-El will be able to retreat there and try and take it from us, we will remove his presence permantly from the fortress and then open the portal to the zone and free the prisoners there” he started again. “This planet will burn under our feet as we become the masters and ruler of a new empire, an empire that will reach out across the stars and this time nothing will stop me” he added with a truly demented smile on his face. 

The others just smiled and nodded imagining the wealth and power they would again from aiding him in his plans, it was the true weakness of the greedy he though. Like back on Krypton he had used many including Zor-El the brother of his worst enemy, to aid his plans but knowing once he had what he wanted he would remove the man so he would never become an actual threat. It was something he knew he would have to do here as some of these earthlings were just too independent to leave alive, they wanted their own little part of his empire and did not understand there would be only one king and that was him. 

“Go carry out your orders and remember they may strike at any time so be ready” he ordered clearing the room of everyone but him and Brainiac. “This planet’s population is so easy to manipulate” he stated turning to the A.I. 

“They are indeed Lord Zod, in the last timeline I manipulated many of them Kal-El included as he had been way to trusting” Brainiac responded. “To think they believe themselves so advanced is ridiculous” he added with a shake of his head whilst Zod laughed at the very notion. 

 

(Outside the Secret Base)

Bart and Arthur appeared first to check the area out before calling the all clear so Chloe and Lois could be sent, once they arrived they moved straight for the section of the base where they could tap into the security system. Chloe quickly got to work once she was in and with suggestions from Lois quickly bypassed the firewalls and traps Zod and Brainiac had set up, finally she found what she was looking for and with a few commands brought the entire base security down.

“It’s done Clark, security is down” Chloe said into her earpiece with a smile as they quickly moved back to the transport site. “Be careful guys especially you Bart” she added before quickly moving forward and kissing him before she and Lois vanished. 

Bart was a little surprised by the move as he knew they had gotten close but not that close, suddenly noticing the chuckling Arthur he groaned knowing he was going to be teased about this for a while. He shook his head and moved to meet the others.   
(Fortress of Solitude)

Clark watched Chloe, Lois, Bart and Arthur vanished from the fortress to begin the first part of their plan, he hoped he was not making a very big mistake in involving Chloe and Lois but he knew deep in his heart as well as from his memories how well the two could take care of themselves so he pushed his worry aside.   
He looked around and noted everyone was ready and waiting to head out, Bruce was just kissing Talia for good luck before he pulled his mask on and stood next to Oliver who was priming his bow. Beside him stood Raya and Diana both looking as serious as they had in his memories he saw a flash of Raya as she looked when she died in the future and quickly banished it. He would not allow it to happen again he vowed, he felt Raya’s hand find his and squeeze it and he quickly returned it with a small smile. She could tell he was tense as they prepared for battle, a battle he hoped would finally end the nightmare future he still feared would happen.   
Diana was not blind to the tenseness of Clark or Raya but she was too focused on the fight to come to offer any help, she had been trained for combat by some of the best warriors of Themyscira and she knew the kind of mindset one needed for battle. She also knew Clark and Raya would shake of their worry once the signal was given, she looked around and felt pride in been a part of a group of people such as she found herself apart of here.   
Across from them Dax-Ur stood once more ready for the fight to come and what he hoped would be his redemption, if they could successfully reprogram Brainiac then maybe he could finally be put to the use he would originally created for. Beside him stood Jor-El in his Avatar’s body also ready for what he hoped would be a final clash with Zod his former friend turned mortal enemy, how he wished things had not progressed to this point how he wished things could be different.   
He knew his son knew the truth of what had gone down on Krypton between him and Zod but he doubted he truly understood what it had been like in reality, there was a time when he and Zod had almost been like brothers but things changed too much and they became two different people with vastly different viewpoints on what was best for Krypton and their people. Those differing points of view damaged their relationship to the breaking point especially as Zod became darker and full of rage and arrogance that only his views were right which finally turned into his desire to conquer their world and destroy all who opposed him.   
The war that had consumed their world had been devastating and something he hoped Earth could be spared of which was why he had sent Kal-El here in the first place, but it would seem this mission was much harder than it appeared and his son and what was left of the league in the future had fallen back on time travel to try and advert the same destruction from falling on this planet. He felt it nessacary to do all he could to aid his son in finally ridding this universe of Zod’s pervasive nature, he would avenge Krypton’s fall and Lara’s death. 

“It’s done Clark, security is down” Chloe’s voice over the open comm link broke them all out of their thoughts and made them all look to Clark who took a deep breathe. 

“Ok you all know the plan and what to do” he stated with a confident smile. “Stick close to one another and try not to get separated as that is how they will bring us down like they did with Lana, we know who we are fighting and we know what they are capable off so let’s go take care of this problem once and for all” he added his smile fading. 

They watched as Lois and Chloe finally returned and they all noted Lois was laughing whilst Chloe had a red face and they briefly wondered what had happened before they all teleported out of the fortress along with the cyborgs Jor-El had created for the fight, Talia shivered slightly and she prayed Bruce would return to her alive and well. Ra noted his daughter’s action and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, whilst he watched Lois continue to tease Chloe. 

 

(Secret Base)

Zod looked up as the lights went out before the emergency power came on, he smiled grimly as it meant the battle was about to begin, he would look forward to finally gaining his ultimate revenge on Jor-El for everything he had taken from him including his rightful place as ruler of Krypton and from there the universe.   
He turned to Brainiac and nodded at him to go and help in the defense before wondering which member of the house of El he should kill first, maybe by killing Kal-El and Kara first he would break Jor-El’s spirit completely. The idea had merit he thought but then again maybe killing his old foe first would be more fun, in the end he guessed it would depend on who reached him first. Once he had finally destroyed the house of El he would also remove that old relic Dax-Ur as well just for attempting to aid them in stopping him, today would the beginning of his conquest of the known universe and this time nothing would stand in his way or stop him for achieving his destiny. 

Suddenly the doors to his base exploded inward and his smile grew bigger as he watched the league pour in, he watched as Joker and Bane broke off and headed towards Batman and his circle of close allies. Not that he was surprised by that as he knew they both had personal scores to settle as well, Toyman he noted was trying to get close to Green Arrow with a few of his pipe bombs and Brainiac it seemed was hunting Dax-Ur.

“Kill them all” he shouted as his army of normal villains and insane meteor freaks charged towards the enemy. 

Clark unleashed a devastating barrage of heat vision into the approaching horde of insane meteor freaks killing many of them, he had told each of the league to not hesitate to kill the insane freaks as they were doing them a favour. They were ending the pain and insanity Zod/Luthor and his allies had inflicted on them, Batman flung a bat bomb into the crowd which exploded and took out another three before they reached the first of the hero’s. Arthur was pushed back as three meteor freaks crashed into him alongside Donna and Nightwing. Kyle took to the air and used his ring to create a prison for a few of the meteor freaks before he was brought down by a flung pipe; he hit the ground hard with a broken noise but quickly got back up. Jade and Obsidian quickly moved to aide him, Batman faced the charge of Joker and Bane both had hate filled faces as they rushed him and he knew this would be not easy.   
Diana crashed into a wave of normal villains who had joined with Zod with Kara by her side, their powers were no match for the Amazon princess or the last Kryptonian woman still living and they easily pushed them back taking them down with powerful punches to their faces and chest. Oliver unleashed some of his gas arrows whilst trying to help Bruce who was now in the middle of a heated fight with Joker and Bane, he was taking some bad blows as he was been double teamed. Zatanna moved to his side and began to unleash her magic.

“Help Bruce” she told him. “I’ll deal with this lot” she added as confidently as she could. Oliver hesitated for a few minutes before he nodded and rushed into the fight hitting Bane in the side and just stopping the mad man from putting a blade into the distracted Batman’s back.

Clark growled as he watched Brainiac nail Catwoman so hard she sailed into the wall and dropped to the floor unconscious with blood around her mouth and noise. Atom tried to aide her but was quickly take out of the fight as well as Brainiac flung him into the roof and then grabbed his leg and sent him crashing into the floor with a thud. He supersped over and caught the finishing blow that would have killed Atom and pushed Brainiac away, the two now faced one another. 

“Are you ready to die at last Kal-El?” Brainiac asked with an amused smile. “All you’ve done is delay the inevitable, I know exactly how badly you did in the first time line and now you will fail again” he taunted his smiling growing cold as his eyes bored into Clark’s. 

“Over my rotting corpse” Clark shot back with a growl. “I will not fail, not here and not now” he added as they began to circle one another. “It is you who will fail” he stated before he launched himself forward. 

Brainiac was ready for the attack and managed to block it and soon they began to trade powerful blows, each landed some heavy shots but neither could land a finishing blow. Brainiac shoved Clark into the nearby wall shattering most of it from the force; Clark shoved him back and lashed out with a head butt which staggered Brainiac. They began to trade blows again, behind them Diana and Kara continued to take down the allies of Zod with force. Kara like her cousin unleashed the full potential of her heat vision and roasted one of the insane meteor freaks as it managed to pound Diana to the ground.   
Dax-Ur and Jor-El quickly rushed forward and pounced on the distracted Brainiac as he managed to send Clark flying through the wall with a devastating right hook, between the two they managed to force the A.I to the ground as Clark stumbled over to them and took the device from Dax-Ur which they hoped would reprogram him back to his original purpose. 

“NOO” Brainiac struggled but found he could not dislodge the two onto of him. “I will not be beat especially not by you Dax-Ur” he screamed before Clark pushed the device onto the back of his neck. 

The device lit up and instantly began to reprogram Brainiac just as Dax-Ur had planned, the AI’s eyes turned green as his programming began to be rewritten. His struggles stopped although neither Dax-Ur nor Jor-El released him just in case he was faking, Clark took deep breathes as he recovered from the blows he had taken. He looked around wondering where Zod was hiding or where he was keeping Lana. 

“Is it working?” he asked. 

“I believe so, go Kal-El find Zod” Dax-Ur urged him in response as he briefly looked up at him. 

Clark nodded and took of hoping to find Zod and finally put an end to this madness, behind him Bart blocked off two of the Meteor freaks who tried to stop him. Arthur quickly joined him and together they fought the two back from the door Clark had just vanished through, J'onn blasted through three more of the meteor freaks with his strength and speed aiding him. Joker growled as Batman again dodged his sword swipes and lunged forward again only he over extended himself which left him vulnerable to Bruce’s back kick which caught him in the chest. The Joker fell backwards but regained his footing and circled his nemesis again, behind them Oliver and Bane continued to exchange left and rights. Both were bloody but they continued to fight, the League was gaining ground.

Clark entered what looked like a command center as it was filled with maps of the city and what liked potential points of attack, he looked around feeling as if he was been watched. 

“Welcome Kal-El” Zod’s cold voice made him spin around to face his foe as he stepped out of the shadows, he felt a cold shiver go down his spine as he brought Lana out with him. Her eyes were vacant of the woman he had loved for so long, he noticed the collar on her neck and he glared at Zod who seemed to notice the direction of his gaze. “Ah yes the collar, it was nessacary to use that to keep that witch which is inside Lana under control, I did not want anything to mess with Lana’s new personality which is loyal only to me” he taunted Clark seeing the pain this caused.

“And for that you will pay” Clark all but shouted as he felt his rage and anger spike. “You destroyed our home world but that was not enough for you, you had to come here and do the same here” he continued as he moved forward. “Well your desire for conquest ends here Zod, I will stop you” he stated as he prepared for the fight ahead. 

“You have courage Kal-El I give you that but like your father you do not have what it takes to beat me” Zod responded as he placed his left hand around Lana’s neck. “Now surrender or I will kill her” he ordered. 

Clark froze as he looked into Zod’s cold eyes and knew he was serious, everything inside of him screamed at him to do as he had been ordered except that one part of him that was Kal-El from the future. He knew what awaited them if he surrenders, but could he sacrifice Lana as he had done since she had been kidnapped. Thankfully he did not have to find out as Jor-El exploded out of the wall behind Zod and flung him away from Lana, Clark quickly engaged Zod as he jumped back to his feet and they began to wail on one another quickly drawing blood.   
Jor-El knocked Lana out and handed her over to Brainiac who then took her back to the fortress, Jor-El was relieved Dax-Ur’s reprogramming device had worked. It had taken Zod’s best ally away from him and now hopefully the AI could be used for its real purpose, he looked back as Kal-El was flung into the wall with such force it broke behind him. Kal-El quickly regained his feet but was backhanded halfway across the room, filled with rage he rushed forward and intercepted his former friend turned bitterest rival and struck him with all the force he could manage. Zod was sent reeling back into the wall damaging it further. 

“Not bad Jor-El” Zod said wiping the blood from his mouth. “But today the house of El falls” he promised as he stalked towards the avatar of his former friend. “No one can stop me, not you, not your son and not your niece either” he swore.

Back outside Oliver finally stumbled from the many blows he had taken from Bane and was then finally kicked backwards, he felt a couple of ribs break and knew he was finished for this fight. Bane stalked forward intending to kill the fool who had interrupted his fight with Batman but J'onn intercepted him, having turned himself into a replica of Bruce. Bane screamed a cry of fury as he thought he was fighting his hated nemesis and began to try and kill him; J’onn felt the power behind the blows but quickly fought back. Jade and Obsidian noting that they had the upper hand quickly recovered Atom, Catwoman and Oliver and took them back to the fortress for treatment.   
Bruce was getting tired of fighting the Joker and finally decided to end it, he waited for the insane clown to come at him again with his sword and then twisted sideways and lashed out with two quick right hooks followed by a knee to the man’s chest. This sent Joker to the ground and he quickly brought his elbow down into the man’s exposed neck which knocked Joker out finally. He turned to find Bane and noted he was fighting an exact replica of him, he frowned for a minute before he realized it had to be J’onn who must have copied him. He looked around and noted Diana, Raya and Kara were taking down the last of the Meteor freaks, whilst Bart and Arthur dealt with some of the normal villains although he noted most had escaped clearly noting they had been beat. He nodded pleased by this before he went and struck Bane from behind, striking him at the knee’s he brought the madman down and then nailed him in the face with a right hook whilst J’onn followed it with his own shot and they continued until Bane stopped trying to get back up. 

The wall exploded causing all of the remaining League members turn to see Jor-El fly through the air only to land painfully halfway into the room, turning fully they saw Zod step out of the hole with a grin on his face. 

“Time to finally die old man” Zod spat at his hated foe who struggled to get back up but knew Lionel’s body was just too exhausted to do anymore. 

“I don’t think so Zod” Clark’s voice made Zod spin around but he was to slow and he was struck with a blast of heat vision in the chest which sent him flying backwards.

Clark shot forward and began to strike Zod with left and rights as hard as he could make them, Zod struck back as best he could but he noted the rage from Kal-El was giving his foe an edge. He tried to catch Kal-El’s legs with a trust kick but Clark jumped over them and nailed Zod in the face with a back hand, he followed it up with his own kick which again forced Zod back.   
Zod growled in anger before he fought back and managed to catch Kal-El in the chest, the force of the blow sent him to the ground but he quickly rolled back to his feet. Some of the other League members wanted to help but Diana and Raya stopped them, they reminded them this was Kal-El’s right and he had to end it. Zod lashed out again but Clark moved out of the way and nailed Zod in the side with his boot, he followed it with an elbow in the back and then a right hook which finally staggered Zod and allowed Clark to punch him in the chest with all the force he could muster. Zod smashed into the left over remains of the wall and collapsed to the ground, his vision was beginning to blur and he cursed not having a full kryptonian body as not matter how much Luthor’s had been upgraded it would never be as good as his real body. 

“Damn you and your family for always getting in my way” he spat as he tried to force himself back to his feet. “I would have been a god if not for you” he added.

“That was always your problem” Jor-El spat as he was helped up by Dax-Ur “You lust for power was always too great, you were once a great soldier and defender of our people but look at you now” he continued “A disgrace, a murderer and the man who destroyed our home, all because of your lust for power” he growled.

“Silence, I always hated your sermons Jor-El” Zod growled as he finally managed to regain his feet and tried to attack Clark again but he was too weak from the combat and was easily blocked and Clark nailed him in the face again. 

“Your lust for power ends now” Clark growled as he stepped forward and finally knocked Zod out cold leaving the room in silence.

“What do we do now?” Bart asked as he held his side which hurt from a bad shot he had taken from one of the meteor freaks.

“We take Joker, Bane and Zod and send them to the Phantom zone and then we get ready to face the music of our actions when we alert the government of what we have done” Bruce answered holding his own side 

“Is there any way to draw Zod out of Luthor before we send them to the zone?” Raya inquired as she and Diana moved to Clark’s side. 

“Brainiac told is there is no way to reverse what was done to Luthor unless Zod himself left his host and I doubt Zod will do such a thing” Dax-Ur told her with a shake of his head.

“Let’s get back to the fortress and send these three to the zone” Clark said as he grabbed Zod. J’onn grabbed Bane whilst Bruce picked up the Joker. As one they activated their beacons and vanished as the sound of the police began to sound.

*************

(Fortress of Solitude)

Everyone watched as Bane was flung into the zone first and then Bruce moved forward with the Joker, the expression of his face was calm as he pushed his greatest enemy into the portal hopful it would be enough to contain not only Joker but the other criminals they had sent through so far. Clark and Jor-El then moved Zod forward and with a brief glance at each other flung him in as well, they had decided it was too dangerous to allow Zod to regain counciounes before they sent him through.

“It’s over” Diana said as he leaned against Clark as did Raya. Talia leaned against Bruce pleased to see him return in good healt and also witnessing what she hoped was the permanat exile of the Joker and Bane, two of Bruce’s greatest enemies.Bart hugged Chloe as she watched events from the back next to Lois and Karl. 

“No, not yet” Clark disagreed with a shake of his head “We have to see if we can save Lana from whatever they did to her and we also have to see if we can do what Ra asked us to do in concerns to Nyssa” he reminded them.

(Fortress of Solitude)

Clark watched as Dax-Ur and Brainiac worked together as they began the process of trying to undo what had been done to Lana, he and the others were still somewhat edgy around the AI even though they knew it was no longer a threat. Jor-El was busy trying to remove all the negative hate and rage Nyssa had towards her sister and father, Bruce was watching the process with Talia and Ra.

“Kal-El I was just wondering I thought you were going to kill Zod instead of sending him to the zone?” Kara inquired from behind him along with a few of the other members of the League including Raya and Diana. 

“I was going to Kara” Clark admitted “But in the end I decided banishment back to the zone was the worse outcome for Zod and for Lex” he continued as he looked at the others. “Nearly everyone who knows about the zone are either here or in the zone itself, the chances of them escaping are a million to one” he stated with as much confidence as he could manage. 

“And if he does somehow escape?” Bart asked from beside Chloe who was leaning against his side with a smile pleased the war had been stopped and hopeful her friend would soon be back in her right mind. 

“We will be ready to deal with it and if he does escape then I will end him” Clark answered with a dark look at the idea. “Kal and my future self would end him in a second but if we are going to be hero’s people will trust we cannot kill without at least trying to imprison them first” he continued “The insane meteor freaks were different in that there was no hope of them been saved, we could not undo what was done to them” he stated.

“We understand Kal-El” Raya assured him with a sympathetic smile. “Let us hope Zod never escapes because his revenge will be shift and deadly” she stated. 

“I know” Clark agreed with a nod of his head as he turned his attention back to Dax-Ur and Brainiac working on Lana. 

“By the way Clark” Oliver spoke up. “Bruce and I with Lionel’s help have managed to convince the press to hold a conference tomorrow morning so we can explain what we have to done to the criminals we caught as well as the fact the war is over” he explained. 

“Let us hope the people respond as we expect them to” Jade said with uncertainty. “We know the government is not going to like it but if we have the support of the people we should escape without the government coming after us” she stated with quite a bit of uncertainty in her voice still. 

“They should considering they will never again have to worry about the likes of Joker, Sinestro, Bane or Riddler” Arthur put in. “That has to count in our favour” he added as he leaned against the wall.   
“We’ll find out soon enough” Diana said knowing that it was not going to be easy to face the press and through them the government and the people but she was confident it would turn out in their favour once they realised the world was safer with the major criminals exiled to the zone. 

“How is it going Dax-Ur?” Clark inquired wondering if Lana could be brought back at all or if she was lost forever. The idea of her been post forever caused him great pain, even if he had felt a distance from her as her recalled more and more from his future memories. 

“Undoing what has been done to Lana is not a simple procedure Kal-El” Dax-Ur answered with a sigh. “Her entire life has been rewritten, however having Isobel within Lana with a set of her real memories should help us bring Lana back as she was before she was kidnapped” he informed them.

“How is Isobel?” Clark couldn’t help but inquired knowing it could not have been easy for the witch to watch as Lana was brainwashed and then used by Zod. 

“Before we put her to sleep so we could work she told me to tell you how sorry she was that she failed to protect Lana” Dax-Ur answered. “I think you will need to have a long conversation with her once we are finished” he stated. 

“I know” Clark said with a nod of his head “I’ll leave you to it, I best go and see my parents and let them know we did it” he added a few seconds later. “I suggest everyone get some rest or visit your loved ones because tomorrow is not going to be easy for any of us” he went on as he turned to the group behind him. “You’ve earned the time to relax, we’ve saved the world and stopped the future I saw in my future memories” he told them with a grateful smile” he finished as he ran a hand through his hair.

The group nodded and began to break up except for Raya who intended to accompany him to the farm, Diana hugged him and they almost lost themselves in a heated kiss before she moved to Donna’s side and left to inform their mother they had succeeded in their mission. The others used their crystals to return home bar Chloe who joined Clark and Raya; she hoped Mr Kent had managed to talk Martha around. Clark shot one last look at where Lana’s body lay before he activated his crystal; they vanished in a bright light. 

***********

(Kent Farm)

Jonathan looked up as Clark finally returned with Raya and Chloe; he noted they all looked pretty happy or at least happier than when he had last seen them. He ran a hand through his hair and hoped they had done it, that the fighting was finished and he especially hoped that they had rescued Lana or Martha was going to explode. They had been arguing quite a while since the group had left to fight the final battle, Martha just would not accept the idea of Clark not doing all he could to rescue Lana as he had before. She did not want to think that Lana maybe lost to them completely; she still hoped Lana would become her daughter in law. What she seemed to have forgotten is that Clark would not be just marrying Lana if she could be saved, he would most likely marry Raya and Diana as well. 

“How did it go son?” he finally asked as each took a seat at the dining room table. 

“We did it dad, Zod and nearly all his allies are now in the zone” Clark answered with a relieved smile that set Jonathan at ease somewhat. “We think Toyman managed to escape but apart from that the others are in the zone” he explained. 

“What about Lana?” Martha demanded to know as she entered the kitchen clearly having been listening to them. 

“We managed to rescue her but whether Dax-Ur and Brainiac can undo the brainwashing that was done to her we don’t know yet” Clark answered as he turned to face her. “Dax-Ur is hopeful it can be undone as Isobel has a complete set of Lana’s memories within her, and as they are joined still well that should help” he explained knowing his mother would not like this “We can only wait and see what happens” he stated.

Martha stared at him before shaking her head and storming away, she was angered to see how little the news seemed to affect Clark. More and more since he had gotten the memories his future self she saw far more of Kal than the son she had raised, she cursed the day those memories came back. Jonathan let out a sigh as he watched his wife all but storm out of the room, he was worried this event could tare their family apart especially if Lana was indeed lost forever. 

“I’m sorry son, I’ve tried talking to her again and again on this matter” he said clapping a hand on his son’s shoulder as he noted the slight slump in Clark’s posture. “But she will not see anything but the loss of Lana and what she sees as your lack of care to get her back” he admitted.

“I care” Clark shot back heatedly. “Believe me I do, but I am far more than I used to be when Lana was all I could ever see” he explained. “Even when I remove the memories of my future self, it will not change how I now view things” he admitted running a hand through his hair. “I will recall what has happened to me through all this, it has changed me for the better in my eyes” he stated with real belief showing in his eyes as he looked at his father.

“I think so to son” Jonathan told him proudly. “You’ve become the kind of person I always knew you could be, you are ready to become a hero for this world even earlier than I expected” he continued. 

“You might have lost some of the love you used to have for Lana but I don’t think it is all gone, just spread between Diana and Raya” he added. “Loving three people can’t leave the kind of love you used to show for Lana, she will have to come to understand this if she is brought back” he went on with a small smile. “I am sure your mother will come around in the end” he finished hoping to set Clark’s mind at ease. 

“Yeah I think Mr Kent is right Clark” Chloe put in hoping to help cheer Clark up. “She’ll come around and before you know it everything will be like normal well almost” she added with a grin. 

“You must keep faith Kal-El” Raya stated. “Martha Kent is hurt and upset right now, when she has calmed down and truly seen what you and the League have accomplished I think she will finally understand the sacrifice you had to make for the world” she continued. “A sacrifice I think any of them would have made including Lana had it been you who was captured” she suggested. 

“I think Raya is right, Lana would have done it knowing you would not want her to risk everything just to save him” Chloe agreed with a nod of her head. “As much as it hurts to admit, you did the right thing Clark” Chloe finally acknowledged. 

Clark nodded his head before he turned and exited the house to head to the barn; Raya quickly followed him knowing this was not easy for him. He had never been at odds with his adoptive mother so badly; it had to be hurting him. Lara she believed would have been more understanding, but then she had stood by her husband’s side as their planet was destroyed. She had never doubted or second guessed any of Jor-El’s decisions to try and save Krypton; she had been supportive and caring. Martha Kent in her eyes failed in this regard, but then Martha Kent had not seen war as Lara or anyone else including Kal-El had seen it. 

Clark stood at the barn doors where this journey had begun and looked out into the night time sky, he saw the stars were burning brightly and he wished Krypton was still viewable. Raya leaned against him and he brought his arm across her to draw her nearer, he felt a bit calmer now but he hoped his mother would calm down and see he could not have made any other choice but the one he had made.

“Are you okay Kal-El?” Raya inquired worried by his continued silence. 

“In time Raya in time” Clark responded as he leaned his head against hers and lost himself in the beauty of the stars. 

***********

(Press Conference, Next day)

Clark stood with Bruce, Oliver and the others as they waited for the press to finish entering the large hall. This he hoped would be the true notification of the Justice League’s birth; it could go either two ways once they had said their peace. He had hope it would end in their favour, Raya and Diana stood by his side and their close presence gave him strength not to fidget. Dax-Ur, Lionel, Ra and Talia were the only members missing; none of them believed their presence would help matters especially where it concerned Ra and Lionel. Finally the last few members of the press arrived and it was time to start, he was thankful they were all in costume for this. 

“I thank you all for coming” Bruce said starting the conference as the most recognisable hero within the group. “As you know the last time I spoke to the press I stated a war had begun between the group I now stand with the League, and a group of villains who intended to destroy the world and rule what was left” he explained. “I now state for the moment the war has been won, the League defeated the villains yesterday” he told the assembled mass of reporters who immediately began to shout questions.  
After a few minutes of nothing but chaos the press settled down enough for Kelly Benson of the Daily Planet to ask the first question, she seemed pleased to hear the fighting was over.

“Batman, exactly what has happened to villains as we’ve had no word from the authorities that they have been handed over as normal?” Kelly inquired. 

“We did not hand them over to the authorities Miss Benson; we exiled them to what is known as the Phantom Zone” Bruce answered knowing this was where the real trouble began. “Before you ask the Phantom Zone is a prison of alien origin which is used to house the worst criminals of the known 28 galaxies” he explained.

“Are you saying you are in contact with alien life Batman?” John Cooper of the Metropolis Inquisitor inquired.  
Bruce did not answer as Clark moved forward hoping this did not get as crazy as he suspected it would; Bruce gave him a clap on the shoulder for support.

“My name is Kal-El; I was born on the planet Krypton before it was destroyed by a civil war. I was sent to this planet to survive by my parents due to the fact my people have been here many times before, I was adopted by human parents and raised as one of you” he informed the now eagerly listening press. “However due to my alien nature I gained many vast powers from your yellow son, I will not discuss those powers here as at the moment that is not important” he told them pausing for a second as he gathered his thoughts. “I was sent here to ensure this planet did not suffer the same fate as Krypton, my father hoped I would become a symbol of hope to your kind. Someone to look up to when the darkness grew” he went on. “I am not the only Kryptonian here, my cousin Kara-Zor-El was also sent here and another of our kind has been here for many years before we came” he told them before he was interrupted.

“If everything you have just said is true, why have your people spent so much time on earth and why choose it as the place to escape to?” Max Dixon of the Metropolis Journal demanded to know.

“I can’t really say what drew so many of my kind to this planet, all I know is my people are not the only ones who have found a home on this planet” Clark answered as best he could. “Other species have come here, both good and evil, you are not alone in this universe and now you know this truth” he stated. “I and those like me who are part of the League are sworn to defend this planet and its people even if it costs us our lives, it is the reason we are here above even the survival of our race” he explained.

“How can we honestly trust you if you are not born on this planet?” another reporter demanded to know looking a little fearful. 

“Trust takes time, you have come to trust many of the hero’s now standing before you and I am sure in time you will come to trust us as well” Clark responded. “We are not your enemies and I hope your governments who are listening to this realize this truth” he stated.

“Can you explain anything about this intergalactic prison Batman mentioned?” Kelly Benson inquired deciding to move things back to the point at hand. 

“Yes I can as it was built by my people including my own father, its purpose is to imprison the worst criminals of the known 28 know galaxies” Clark informed them. “Criminals like The Joker and Bane, and intergalactic ones such as Sinestro” he continued. “There are no guards in this prison, no fences and absolutely no way of escape” he concluded.  
“Why have you decided to send the captured villains to this zone when you have been content to let the local police and justice systems deal with them?” John Cooper asked. 

Oliver moved up to Clark’s side and took over the microphone. “we made the choice due to the fact that every villain we have taken down and handed over to the government has escaped and gone onto cause more destruction and death than the time before” he explained their reasoning for their new way of dealing with their enemies. “It is high time we dealt with these people on a more permanent basis and ensure they never hurt the people again” he stated. 

“Does that mean all the criminals you capture will be sent to the zone?” Kelly Benson inquired finding the idea quite pleasing as it meant they would no longer have to fear madmen like the Joker.

“No, only the worst of the worst” Bruce answered moving back to the front of the group. “The League stands together to protect the people of this planet as a whole, we will be on call at all times but a time will come when we will retire and allow others to step up and take our place” he explained.

“Do you see yourselves above the governments of the world?” Max Dixon demanded to know believing this was going to be the best story he had ever written. 

“Of course not, whilst we do not answer to any one government but to the people of this world as a whole” Oliver answered with a shake of his head. “We will of course abide by the laws of the government and work with them if needs be, if one of us should turn we will turn that individual over to the government unless there was an outside influence causing such a turn” he informed them. 

“The League is not above the law” he stated much to the relief of the people in front of them.

“How many aliens are in the League altogether?” Kelly Benson inquired thinking this would be the biggest story the Daily Planet had ever had and the fact she was the one reporting on it would serment her place in its history. 

“Seven in all and whilst most of them are from Krypton not all are” Clark told them. “Each of us who have come here from somewhere else has found a home here and we intend to ensure it remains safe” he finished and then moved away from the microphone. 

“How many criminals have you sent to the zone already Green Arrow?” Max Dixon asked continuing to make notes.

“Joker, Bane, Sinestro, Deathstroke, Riddler and the leader of the villains Lex Luthor” Bruce answered knowing Lionel had agreed to allow Lex to be named as he intended to make an announcement tomorrow on the subject “They have been sent to the zone for their crimes, their actions resulted in the death of far too many lives as to be given a chance to escape and cause more death” he added.

***********

(Kent Farm)

Martha, Jonathan, Chloe and Lois watched the news conference with mixed feelings, each wondering how the governments of the world would take what Clark and his friends had said. It would be a lot to take in for most people, granted due to some hero’s the knowledge of life outside their planet was not as crazy as it seemed.

**********

(Fortress of Solitude)

Lionel felt conflicted as Bruce let it be known that Lex had been behind the group of villains who had caused such destruction and death, he had agreed it was nessacary but still he felt conflicted. Lex had become a monster thanks in part to his own stupidity in the way he had raised him, he wished it could have been different now he saw the error of so many of his previous choices.   
Dax-Ur continued to work alongside Jor-El on cursing Lana and Nyssa of the evil now within them, Isobel ensured that when not asleep she could do no harm until the brainwashing had been undone. Talia sat near her father hoping this would be the beginning of a whole new part not only of her life but more importantly Bruce’s as well. Ra placed his hand on his daughter’s shoulder in support; he glanced at where Nyssa lay and hoped she could be saved from the darkness within her. 

**********

(Press Conference)

Clark watched as the press filed out and let out a breath as he felt so damn tense, the questions had just kept coming. But finally it was over, and now they had to wait and see what kind of response they would get from the governments. He noted Kelly Benson from the Daily Planet had not left along with the other reporters and he wondered what she wanted, he moved towards her.

“Can I help you Miss Benson?” he inquired.

“I was just wondering Kal-El if you and your friends are ready for the kind of chaos that will come once this story is put out tomorrow?” Kelly inquired with a brief smile.

“Yes we are, we knew it would not be easy once the story was told but we are ready for the response” Clark answered. “We are confident the people will back us up, they no longer have to fear so many dangerous criminals and we intend to make the world even safer” he added with conviction. 

“I hope so” Kelly responded. “I really do, it is high time someone managed to keep these deranged psycho’s in prison even if it is an intergalactic prison” she stated before she turned and left the room. 

“That’s a smart woman” Arthur said from behind him, Clark glanced at him and nodded his head in agreement.

“I agree and exactly the kind of person we want writing what went on here at the Daily Planet” Clark told him. “I think we might be off to a good start” he stated.

“Let’s Hope so” Arthur shot back as they re-joined the others and returned to the fortress with their crystals. 

***********

(Luthor Corp, Next day)

Lionel stood at the front of a large crowd that included a lot of press; however the majority was the company’s board members and employee’s. This was going to be the beginning of a new era of his company and what he hoped would be the redemption of his family name, finally the noise died down and he knew it was time to start.

“I know for many of you” he began. “You have come here to hear about my son Lex been named as the leader of the group of villains who caused so much damage lately” he continued “I am afraid to say the story is true, Lex had a relapse of the brake down he suffered at the beginning of last year only it had a much more serious effect on him” he explained. “He became a completely different person and he used this company for his own ends, that ends today as after a meeting with the board I have once again been named owner of the company” he stated. “All illegal projects he started have been shut down and all evidence turned over the proper authorities, should Lex somehow escape his new prison he will never be able to take control of my company as I have disowned him of all his rightful inheritance” he went on before he paused and took a drink of water from the nearby glass. “From this day onwards Lex Luthor has no connection to myself or this company” he finished.

“Mr. Luthor, may I inquire then who will inherit the company when you step down or pass on?” Kelly Benson inquired shocked by this turn of events and wondering how it was she was getting so many exciting stories lately. 

“In the last three years I have come to know a family who have raised a young man anyone would be happy to call a son, whilst my previous contact with his parents have been somewhat shaky I feel I have formed a strong bond with them now and after a long talk they have agreed to allow me to name their son as my successor” Lionel answered. “His name is Clark Kent, he has shown he has what it takes to help my company make a new more cleaner image for itself in the years to come” he continued with a smile. “The board has already been told my choice and whilst some of them are unsure of my choice I am sure as time goes on they will realize what I already know, he is a worthy successor” he finished.   
This left a rather stunned crowd as they tried to grasp the fact that Lionel Luthor had chosen some unknown teenager to be his successor, but they guessed his stated friendship with the boy and his parents was behind this unexpected move. 

“What did you mean by your company having a cleaner image in the future Mr. Luthor?” one of the other reporters inquired.

“My company lately has suffered a lot of bad press due to projects that were not in its best interest, I admit I made many mistakes which caused some these events but nowhere as close as Lex did” Lionel answered. “From this point on Luthorcorp is dedicated to bettering mankind, all projects dealing with offensive weapons will be scrapped” he explained to the even more stunned mass. “We will instead excel in defensive technologies and other things that will make all our lives better” he stated. “I will also ensure those who work under me never have to suffer an unjust sacking again or fear for their jobs, they are from this point forward secure and are what makes my company successful” he continued. “I hope in the coming years to remove the black mark against my family name” he finished before he stepped away from the podium and watched as his workers exploded in cheers and clapping. Others joined in as the press made notes for the story they would write. 

Clark, Martha and Jonathan stood in an unseen section of the room behind a two way mirror watching the conference. Clark wondered at how this would affect the future as he doubted he would end up a reporter anytime soon thanks to this twist, he knew his parents were still unsure of Lionel making Clark his heir but they decided they could not interfere as Clark had made the choice to except. Over the next couple of years he would be trained in all manner of ways to take over the company, Raya, Diana and a few others from the League would be given jobs at Luthorcorp as well whilst others would join Queen Industries or even Wayne Enterprise. 

***************

(Fortress of Solitude, a Week Later)

Clark sat at the main console of the fortress working on the first planning draft for the Watchtower, which would end up been built exactly how it was built in the future. But it would now be a joint project between Luthorcorp, Wayne Enterprise and Queen Industries and thus the cost of building it would be shared. Clark would be adding the alien technology which would allow them to monitor the earth for threats, there was also going to be monitoring scanners for detecting threats from space. Teleporting technology would again be added as would defensive weapons, there would be no offensive weapons at least not unless they were needed.   
He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair as he knew soon he would have to leave with Kara, Raya, Brainiac and a copy Jor-El’s AI. They were going to head into deep space to locate the city of Kandor which he had finally admitted had survived the destruction of Krypton. Kara had been out raged at first that he had kept this news from her, once she had calmed down she had realised he had been right and the news would have just distracted her. The journey there and back would take them a week or two to complete, whilst they were gone cyborgs replicas of them would take their places at school and as members of the League.

“How is it going Kal-El?” Dax-Ur asked from behind him and he turned to see the elder Kryptonian behind him as well as Brainiac.

“Slowly but I am sure to have it completed before we leave to find Kandor” Clark responded with a tired smile. “Of course even once the plans are complete we’ll have to refine them before we even think of beginning to build the Watchtower” he added. “But in the end it should be worth it” he concluded. 

“Agreed Kal-El” Jor-El spoke up from the console. “It will allow us to monitor for any threats from both earth bound problems and far into deep space” he reminded them. “Once Kandor has been brought into moon orbit, it will be even more important to be prepared for any kind of threat” he stated. 

“You realise our plans for Kandor are not going to go down well with the governments of the world” Kara cut in making them all turn to face her. “They might see it as an attempt at invasion” she suggested.

“I don’t think it will that bad Kara, in fact I think many would be awed by such a thing happening in their lifetime” Clark responded with a shake of his head no fully convinced on his own response but thinking Kara was been a little over dramatic as the response to the truth of aliens been on earth had not been as bad as he had first feared.

The people had of course been stunned by the news that there really was other life in the universe, far more than they had ever believed. That quite a few had come to see earth as home even more surprising, the governments had of course not been happy about what had happened to Lex and the other criminals. The people had as they had hoped backed them up and thus in the end had the governments had given their approval to the League to send the worst repeat criminals to the zone, however they were sure some of the more dangerous elements of the governments had designs on them in the future. 

“Do not be complacent Kal-El” Raya broke in from the side who stood beside Diana, Donna, Bruce and Talia who had also joined them. 

“What do you mean Raya?” Clark inquired.

“The military and those who think like them will see us and our people once Kandor is here as threats especially in big numbers” Raya responded. “We will have to take every precaution to ensure the safety of both worlds, not only from outside threats but also from each other until they learn to trust we are no danger to them and they are no danger to us” she explained hoping her lover took this warning to heart.

“I have to agree with Raya Clark” Bruce said. “Some branches of the government and especially the military will not be pleased to have a city full of aliens with super powers near earth” he continued. 

“Maybe we should instead of moving Kandor into moon orbit” Jor-El suggested. “We should move it into the orbit of one of the other planets; we could then use our technology to terraform it” he explained to them. “It would take away the kind of fear humans would fear from it been in moon orbit, it would also give our people a lot more protection as humans cannot travel far in space at this time” he added.

“Jor-El’s idea has merit” Kara agreed with her uncle and hoped Kal-El would see the wisdom in it as well “Kal-El I know you were raised here and have a more confident view of the majority of humans but in this case I think you may be seeing far too much good in them” she continued. “Until they can really learn to trust us, we cannot put Kandor so close to where they could fire a weapon at it” she stated. 

“Ok Kara you’ve made your point” Clark agreed reluctantly because he knew she was right Humans were not perfect and once Kandor was here, it might just cause panic especially if they put it in moon orbit so close to earth. “We’ll move it into orbit of Saturn and terraform its moon Titan” he decided. 

“That is a good choice Kal-El as Titan has a substantial atmosphere which will make terraforming it easier for us” Jor-El agreed pleased by his son’s logic. 

“I have good news as well” Dax-Ur said as the others nodded in agreement. “After many failures Brainiac and myself have finally succeeded in undoing the brainwashing to Lana, she is resting at this minute recovering from what I am sure was a hellish procedure as it was not without pain” he admitted with a pleased smile.

Clark let out a smile at that piece of news and swept Raya into his arms and kissed her, hopefully this news would put his relationship with his mother back to normal and remove the strain that had befallen it since Lana was kidnapped. He then clapped Dax-Ur on his shoulder and thanked him for his hard work, he even thanked Brainiac as this version of the AI was not the one who had brainwashed Lana in the first place at least that was how he saw it. 

“What about Nyssa?” Talia inquired wondering if Dax-Ur and Brainiac had managed to work their magic on her sister as well.

“We managed to remove the hatred that she has for you and your father from her memories, and we have managed to change her personality into something more in line with you” Brainiac stated before pausing as he considered his next piece of news knowing it might not be received well. “However as Dax-Ur warned you before, messing with someone’s memories is risky and we believe Nyssa may have suffered some memory loss as a result of the operation we used to fix her” he explained. 

“How much memory loss?” Talia asked actually feeling worried for her sister now she knew Nyssa was no longer a threat to her, Bruce or her father. Bruce detecting the note of worry wrapped his arms around Talia’s waist and pulled her closer much to her happiness. 

“Hard to say at this point” Brainiac admitted. “But we should know in the next day or two as she awakens” he concluded. Talia hoped Nyssa had not lost too much of her memory, she wondered how their father would react to this news knowing it was his request they do the operation on her. 

“How soon will it be until Lana is able to have visitors?” Clark asked intending to collect his parents and Chloe once he was told it was okay for Lana to have guests.

“I’d give it a day or two” Dax-Ur answered. “Just to be sure, her entire body has undergone two very stressful procedures as has her mind” he reminded them “Isobel stated she will be trying to talk to   
Lana as she sleeps, I am certain she will upset, distraught and angry at what she was forced to do whilst under the control of Zod” he told them.

“That is to be expected” Diana replied. “Lana has been through a very traumatic experience and it will take her a while to get over it” she went on. “If needs be my mother has granted her permission to come to the Island whilst she recovers, somewhere we know she will not encounter any men” she told them.

“Please tell your mother we are grateful for her aide in this matter” Clark said thankfully to Diana. “I think Lana will take her up on it depending on how stable she is once she awakes” he added.  
The group soon broke up and went their separate ways; Clark continued his work but soon felt he needed to sleep. Finishing up his current work he got up and activated his crystal and vanished to first tell his parents the news about Lana and then to get a good night’s sleep. 

**********

(Luthorcorp)

Lionel sat his desk going through the many files Lex had on the projects he had started since he had become owner of the company, these included the more insane projects since he had been affected by Brainiac. He shook his head amazed at the madness shown even in the earlier projects, it made him wonder just had deep rooted the evil within had been. Had Lex ever had a chance to been a good person? He asked himself. Leaning back in his chair he wondered what could have been had he been a better father, had he been a better man. 

************

(Fortress of Solitude, two days later)  
Lana Lang woke up feeling as if her entire body was on fire and had been trampled by a dozen people, she blinked as her vision blurred for a minute before it finally cleared up. In front of her were the Kent’s including Clark, Chloe, Lois, Kara, Diana and Raya.

“How do you feel Lana?” Dax-Ur as he continued to run scans over the body to ensure everything was okay.

“I feel like hell, my body aches” Lana answered after Chloe had handed her a glass of water which she took a large gulp from. “It also feels as if I have not seen any of you in days” she admitted. 

“You haven’t Lana, I thought Isobel was going to talk to you about what happened whilst you were asleep” Clark told her as he took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze which she returned. 

The mention of Isobel instantly brought Lana’s memories back of everything her ancestor had said to her in her dreams, she had fought the idea that she had been captured and brainwashed bitterly until Isobel had sworn on her husband’s grave. Tears began to leak out of her eyes as she tried to keep her composure, she had been raped by Lex and Zod no matter that by that point Lex had been possessed by Zod. It had been Lex’s desire for her that had led to her been kidnapped, she finally couldn’t stop it and she burst into tears. Martha quickly pulled her into a hug and held her; she ran her hands through the young girl’s hair just relieved to have the real Lana back. 

“The scans show the process we used to undo the brainwashing has indeed reversed the affects” Dax-Ur told them all as he read the scan results one more time. “All she needs now is rest and time to recover, however healing the trauma caused by the events in question will take longer” he added.

“Can” Lana tried to ask before she broke of as fresh tears erupted. A few minutes later she recovered “Can you repress the memories?” she asked.

“I could but that would be a very bad idea” Dax-Ur told her in response. “Repressing the memories will only cause more damage in the future as they will eventually break through whatever barriers I put up around them, you need to deal with them now” he advised seriously. 

Lana nodded her head in understanding but she knew it would be a long time before she could ever fully get over what had been done to her, she looked to Clark and noted his concerned gaze resting on her and she wished to be able to return it but she looked away and leaned back in her bed.

*********

(Themyscira Island of the Amazons, three days later)

Lana stood between Diana and Donna as she said her farewell to Clark, as he prepared to head into deep space to find Kandor and bring it back to the sol system. He would be accompanied by Brainiac, Kara, Raya, and a copy of Jor-El’s AI, it would not be an easy trip but she was secure in the fact they would make it.   
The last three days had not been easy for her as she kept having vivid nightmares of what Zod in Lex’s body had done to her, Clark had tried to comfort her but she had quickly moved out of his reach. Thankfully he understood what she was going through and had gone to get Diana who had been able to help her, now three days later the nightmares still refused to leave and so she had taken up the Amazon queen’s offer of coming to the Island to help in her recovery. 

“I’ll be back Lana, I promise” Clark said wanting to take Lana in his arms and kiss her in reassurance but he knew she was not ready for that kind of affection from him yet. He knew it was possible she might never be ready; finally he backed away and shot into the air where the others were waiting for him. 

“I know Clark and I’ll be waiting for you” Lana promised in reply. “Isobel wanted me to assure you she will not fail you again” she told him wanting to feel Clark’s arms around her but was too unsure how she would feel if it actually happened right now. 

“Isobel did not fail me Lana I’ve already told her that” Clark responded with a shake of his head knowing the spirit felt guilt and remorse for Lana’s capture. “She was in a battle and lost track of her position, she was then ganged up on and taken down. It could have happened to anyone of us” he assured her. “Isobel did what she could, no one blames her” he stated. 

“I’ll tell her when I see her next” Lana said hoping it would help cheer up her ancestor who still resided in her body. 

“It is time Kal-El?” Brainiac shouted from above. “We need to leave” he added to which Clark nodded his head.

“Do not worry Kal-El, the Island is well defended and no one from your world knows where it is” Diana assured him as she stepped forward before she and Clark engaged in a heated kiss.

“Just be careful Diana, I don’t want to lose anyone” Clark told her in response to which she just smiled and kissed him again before she stepped back and watched as he began to float into the air. 

“I’ll see you soon” Lana said before he shot into the air to join Raya, Kara and Brainiac who then all vanished into the sky. 

“He’ll be back Lana” Diana assured her as she pulled Lana into a hug as she noted the other girl was beginning to grow uneasy. 

“I know, he always comes back to me” Lana replied with a small smile echoing what she had told the Kent’s near the beginning of all this. 

***********

(Saturn, two weeks later)

Clark was quite tired as he finished helping to move Kandor into orbit of Saturn close to its moon Titan, it had been a very long trip for all of them but it had been worth it. Of course convincing the population of Kandor of their identities took some time even with Jor-El’s AI helping them, but in the end they had succeeded. They’d had to reconstruct the House of El as a member of the council which now ruled Kandor; Clark was now the head of the house as Jor-El had insisted he take it. Kara was his proxy and would fill in for him when he was busy, he had ensured should anything happen to him that Kara would replace him as the head of the House of El. To ensure the house’s position he had married Raya in a traditional Kryptonian wedding ceremony, it had been presided over by Jor-El. He hoped Lana and Diana would understand why he married Raya without consulting them first; he especially hoped Lana would understand.   
Moving the city into the sol system had not been easy but given the nature of the advance state of Kryptonian technology, they had managed to move the city through an enlarged transport beam from its position to the sol system. From there thanks to the yellow sun’s rays empowering them, a large group of Kryptonian’s had used their super strength to move the city into orbit of Saturn. Clark had decided with the council not to tell the governments of earth about Kandor, at least not until they had new defensives up to protect their last refuge.   
Clark turned and headed for earth longing to see Diana and Lana as well as his parents, Chloe, Lois and the rest of his friends in the League. Raya quickly joined his side, Kara and Brainiac remained on Kandor helping their fellow Kryptonian’s plan the terraforming of Titan. 

***********

(Themyscira Island of the Amazons)

Lana sat at the base of a cliff looking longingly into the sky wishing Clark would return, it had been two and a half weeks since he had left on his journey and the more he was absent the more she missed him. The two and a half weeks had been hard ones, but she was finally beginning to regain more and more of her old personality. The aide of Diana and her fellow Amazons as well as the Kent’s Isobel, and Chloe had helped her face much of what had happened; during the time she had spent brainwashed. She heard Diana come up behind her as she often did; she glanced at her friend and fellow lover of Clark noting she too had a longing look on her face. 

“I just received a communication from Jor-El, his deep space monitors had detected movement near Saturn” Diana informed her. “We believe Kal-El and the others had returned and were successful in their mission” she added with a wide relieved smile which was quickly returned by Lana. 

Lana felt great relief at the news and prayed it was the truth; she wanted Clark back more than ever. After everything they had been through she wanted to make sure their relationship this time was permanent, even if it included sharing him with Kara and Raya. Suddenly Clark landed in front of them so fast they felt the ground shake a little as he landed, Raya quickly followed. 

“Clark” Lana shouted as she rushed forward and surprised him by pulling him into a deep passionate kiss before hugging him. A few seconds later as she pulled away Diana repeated her actions. 

“Welcome home” Diana said as she stepped back pleased Kal-El had finally returned.

“Thanks, I’ve missed you both” Clark responded relieved to see Lana looked and sounded so much better as well as felt okay touching him again. 

“So what happened out there?” Lana inquired taking his hand in hers. 

Clark sat them all down and began to explain everything that had happened on their journey as well as what had happened on Kandor itself, when he reached the point of marrying Raya both Lana and Diana interrupted with hugs and congratulations much to his surprise. Diana asked Clark to think about asking her mother for Diana’s hand in marriage, as soon as possible to which Clark agreed. Lana of course knew they could not get married as quickly as he could to Diana and Raya due to their age, but he promised to get her an engagement ring soon which made her extremely happy. 

**********

(The Watchtower, the Future)

Kal-El stood in the large meeting room of the tower staring out into the vastness of space, so much had happened after he had come back from bringing Kandor to Saturn’s orbit. He still went by Clark Kent when he was on earth in his persona of the owner of Luthorcorp but the majority of the time he now went by his true name, as a way of showing respect to Lionel he had kept the company’s name as it was. Lionel had died five years ago from natural causes, having seen his dream of redeeming his family name fulfilled.   
His parents Martha and Jonathan had also passed on which may have pushed him to let go of much of his human persona, then again it could be his full exposure to his real culture and history. He lived on Kandor for half the year and the other on earth, Raya soon joined him telling him their children were once again running wild. Lana was on earth at this moment in time with his children with her, her clothing business was very successful and took much of her time but she refused to let anyone else look after their children. Diana was on duty and in the middle of a crisis with Nightwing, Huntress and Brainiac. Their daughters were on the Island of the Amazons visiting their grandmother, he had a big family now much to his joy. He wondered what the future held for all of them; he clasped Raya’s hand and continued to stare into space. 

The League continued to exist as a force for good with many new members having joined over the years including Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Bruce was now retired and living happily with Talia and their children. Nyssa lived with them to with her own husband and son, the memory loss she had suffered had not been as severe as was feared. Ra had passed away a two years ago just before Jonathan Kent, happy to see his daughters both married and with kids. Chloe had married Bart forever changing her future; their three kids had all inherited Bart’s speed much to Chloe’s frustration as keeping track of them was no easy. Lois had settled down with Oliver but they had no kids, at least not yet. 

The others in the League had either retired or still on active duty, some were married and others were not. He nodded as he passed J’onn in the hallway who nodded back; the Martian was a changed being after finding out he was not the last of is kind. However to save his fellow Martians he had to rage war against the white Martians, the very creatures who had helped destroy his race. The League and the Green Lantern Corps had helped him, and in the end the Green Martians were freed and the white Martians were driven away even deeper into the unknown. J’onn was now married again with kids; Mars with New Krypton’s help was beginning to recover from the war that had destroyed it. 

It had taken a lot of time for the human race to get used to the fact that not one but two other races shared their solar system; there had been times when it seemed the panic and fear would erupt into outright war but it had never reached that point. The aide and advancements mankind of received had helped them improve their lives, many of the most serious illness’s had been cured and most humans now lived far longer lives than they had before. All three races now lived in peace and had regular contact, the Sol system was now the most protected in the 28 known galaxies. Kal-El smiled as he thought of how far they had come since the moment the memories of a war torn future had downloaded into his mind, he would not have changed things at all. 

The End:


End file.
